In a recent visit to the Ranipet Assembly Constituency Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai, as a part of his En Mann En Makkal padayatra, put forth accusations of corruption against Tamil Nadu Handloom Minister, Gandhi.
Annamalai alleged that the minister, nicknamed “Commission Gandhi” owing to his corruption, was involved in a sophisticated form of corruption related to the distribution of Pongal sarees and veshti (dhotis). Contrary to the significance of his name, Annamalai alleged that Minister Gandhi was known for soliciting commissions from weavers and workers involved in the production of veshti and sarees.
Furthermore, Annamalai said that corruption was blatant in the procurement of free cotton veshti and sarees for distribution during the Pongal festival.
Annamalai’s specific accusation revolved around the composition of the fabric used in the Pongal sarees and veshti. Traditionally, only cotton thread is utilised for weaving veshti. However, this year, he alleged that there has been a deviation from this norm, with an increased use of polyester thread. Instead of opting for the more expensive cotton yarn, priced at ₹320 per kg, the authorities purportedly resorted to using polyester yarn, available at half the cost (₹160 per kg).
Annamalai posted on his official X handle that a sample of the dhoti distributed during the Pongal collection was reportedly sent to the textile research center in Coimbatore for testing. Shockingly, the results revealed that 78%of the dhoti was made from polyester, while only 22 percent comprised cotton. This, Annamalai stated, has raised concerns about a substantial reduction in production costs coupled with widespread corruption.
Annamalai also shared the test results obtained from the Coimbatore-based South India Textile Research Association, shedding light on the alleged malpractices in the Pongal saree/veshti distribution.
நேற்றைய தினம், ராணிப்பேட்டை சட்டமன்றத் தொகுதி #EnMannEnMakkal பயணத்தின்போது, தமிழக கைத்தறித் துறை அமைச்சர் திரு. காந்தி அவர்களின் விஞ்ஞானப்பூர்வமான புதிய ஊழல் ஒன்றை மக்கள் மத்தியில் வெளிப்படுத்தினோம்.
அமைச்சர் காந்தியின் பெயருக்கும் அவரது செயல்பாடுகளுக்கும் பொருத்தமே கிடையாது.… pic.twitter.com/f2GiDFQeBu
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) February 7, 2024
Interestingly, it has been observed that several Instagram reels were circulated around the time of the saree distribution/Pongal festival. Influencers in Tamil Nadu were reportedly promoting the sarees, praising their “fine” quality. These revelations further deepen suspicions of an orchestrated effort to mislead the public about the actual composition and quality of the distributed sarees. One such video of the Instagram reel is shared below:
ஒரு RT / ஒரு செருப்படிக்கு சமம் 👇
எத்தனை செருப்படி விழுதுனு பாப்போம் இந்த பொய்மலை பொறுக்கி பயலுக்கு.
தமிழ் நாடு அரசு வழங்கிய வேஷ்டி சேலை தரமானது 👇#OneRTOneசெருப்படி https://t.co/L5pEu0zbdy pic.twitter.com/vwE2JXfBay
— 🖤♥️தூய துறவி (@iam_Vsk) February 7, 2024
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