On Saturday (21st April), Udhayanidhi Stalin caught wearing a CSK jersey with the logo of SNJ 1000, a liquor manufacturing company, which had donated to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 2021 (according to Myneta website), demonstrating a clear conflict of interest as Udhayanidhi is now a DMK Minister.
When most of the opposition parties in the state, including the DMK’s alliance partners, were opposing the recently introduced legislation to amend the law to increase working hours from 8 to 12 hours, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin along with his family and his ministerial colleagues were watching the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) versus Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) match at Chepauk Stadium.
MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin was seen wearing a jersey with the logo of SNJ 10000, a liquor manufacturing company that manufactures Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
It should also be noted that SNJ, according to Myneta.info, had donated ₹6 crores to DMK through SBI electoral bonds in the name of SNJ Sugars and Products Limited in the financial year 2020-21.
This is said to be a clear case of conflict of interest, as DMK Minister Udhyanithi Stalin was seen promoting a liquor company that donated to the DMK two years ago.
Questions have arisen whether it is legally or morally right to promote a liquor company while serving as Tamil Nadu’s Sports Minister.
About SNJ Distilleries
SNJ Distilleries is part of SNJ Group which has businesses primarily in real estate, entertainment, hospitality and distilleries. S. N. Jayamurugan, is the Chairman and Managing Director, SNJ Group and is said to have become big through lottery.
However, he is also the producer of two flop films – Uliyin Osai and Penn Singam – which was written by DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.
It is said that his fortunes went up after 2008, the year when these movies were released.
According to a report, SNJ accounts for over 25% of the liquor sold through TASMAC outlets.
In 2010, a report in The Times of India said that SNJ Distillers was among the five firms that were allowed to set up breweries in Tamil Nadu by the then DMK government headed by late Karunanidhi to meet “growing demand”.
The Income-Tax department raided the SNJ Group in August 2019 for evading tax. During the raid, the I-T Department found that Jayamurugan had registered 912 shell companies that were ‘operating’ from a single building. Overseas transactions worth crores of rupees were also revealed.
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