Chennai: DMK and AIADMK on Friday stepped up their attack on TVK govt over the Palani mutt land registration row.Speaking to reporters at DMK headquarters in Chennai, DMK legal wing joint secretary I Paranthamen alleged that the identities and background of the two men who `fraudulently purchased’ the mutt land were being suppressed. He demanded the govt to explain the reason for not initiating legal action against the two.He accused the HR & CE minister S Ramesh of attempting to defend those involved. Paranthamen said the HR & CE minister claimed the registration was carried out “by mistake, out of ignorance”, while the registration minister maintained that it was done in compliance with a court order and the public prosecutor gave a different account of the event in the court.Paranthaman said the Palani sub-registrar refused to register the land and went on leave on July 6. Instead of deputing an official from a nearby office, authorities brought in a sub-registrar from Kodaikanal, nearly 60 km away. “This clearly suggests he was handpicked for the job,” he alleged.Meanwhile, AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP I S Inbadurai also questioned the govt’s response to the controversy. Referring to the police case registered against an AIADMK functionary over a social media post, he asked why the ruling party was “rattled” by criticism. “They are free to file a defamation case, but they should stop misusing the police to intimidate those raising legitimate questions,” he said.
