Chennai, 17 Mar

Scores of BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu including its state unit president K Annamalai and women's wing national chief Vanathi Srinivasan were detained on Monday by the police ahead of the party's protest against the alleged irregularities in state-run liquor retailer TASMAC.

The saffron party had announced a picketing protest of the TASMAC headquarters over the alleged Rs 1,000 crore irregularities, as claimed by the Enforcement Directorate recently.

Annamalai lashed out at the ruling DMK and its party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, alleging the "rupee symbol and budget drama" was an attempt to divert attention from the recent ED raids at Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), besides other entities.

Annamalai, clad in a black shirt, was detained near his house along with his supporters by the police.

In a social media post, the BJP state chief alleged that senior party leaders including Tamilisai Soundararajan have been placed "under house arrest" by the police.

Senior BJP leaders including H Raja, BJP Mahila Morcha chief and Coinbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, the party's Modakurichi legislator Dr C Saraswathi and functionaries including Vinoj P Selvam and Amar Prasad Reddy were detained.

Annamalai said there have been "irregularities of Rs 1000 crore," in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) and asserted the party will continue to protest on the matter.

Lashing out at CM Stalin, Annamalai said it was his 'guess' that the DMK leader was 'afraid' of something and therefore was 'strangulating' BJP's voice.

"I charge that their symbol drama, budget drama was all aimed at diverting attention from ED raids," he said about the DMK government replacing the Indian rupee symbol with the Tamil word 'Ru,' as the budget logo recently.

Annamalai told reporters that although the ED has quantified the alleged irregularities in TASMAC at Rs 1,000 crore, he estimates it to be "Rs 40,000 crore."

"This Rs 1000 crore is tip of the iceberg...this protest will not only shake up TN politics but will pave the way for ushering in good politics. My guess is this (scam) will be worth Rs 40,000 crore. But I am in a responsible position, so I am quoting the Rs 1,000 crore mentioned by the ED," he said.

He said when ED files its "final report," Stalin might also be on the radar.

To a question on the ED earlier targeting AAP supremo and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Telangana BRS leader K Kavitha in the now scrapped Delhi Excise policy 'scam,' he said the central agency was only acting against irregularities.

The ED had earlier said it has found "multiple irregularities" in the operations of TASMAC, including "manipulation" in the tender processes and "unaccounted" cash transactions worth Rs 1,000 crore through distillery companies.

The federal agency had claimed it got 'evidence' suggesting these corrupt practices after it raided the employees, corporate offices of distilleries and plants of TASMAC on March 6.

There were ‘kickbacks’ involved, it had claimed.