Tamil Nadu cabinet minister V Senthil Balaji Photo: X/@V_Senthilbalaji Tamil Nadu cabinet minister V Senthil Balaji Photo: X/@V_Senthilbalaji

Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji on Friday said the Enforcement Directorate's claim of a Rs 1betex1,000-crore scam in state-run liquor retailer TASMAC has no basis and is a general allegation, and he is ready to face the case legally.

The Excise Minister asserted the state-owned liquor company Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) was working with transparency.

"It has not been made clear by ED authorities as to which of the FIRs constituted the basis for initiating action. Legal action will be taken in the matter," he stated, as quoted by PTI.

What Did The ED Say?

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

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The Enforcement Directorate had claimed that it had found "evidence" indicating these corrupt practices after it raided TASMAC employees, the distillery's corporate offices, and plants on March 6.

There were 'kickbacks' involved, it had claimed.

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Balaji Alleges ED-Annamalai Connection

Without naming Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai, Senthil Balaji said a leader had already claimed a Rs 1,000 crore scam, and it was later reiterated in the ED statement, and "there are 1,000 meanings."

"Since Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has taken the threats of delimitation and the 3-language policy everywhere in the state and made people understand it, the union government could not tolerate it, and it has misused the ED, and the attempt is to create a bad name for the CM who enjoys the confidence of the people," he alleged.

Balaji underlined that there is no scope for irregularities as the tender process is transparent. He said that the purchase of liquor is done on the basis of the sales of the last three months and the previous month and its average.

"No concession is shown to anyone in procurement, and the process is transparentbetex1," he said.