Tamil Nadu Minister for Prohibition & Excise V. Senthil Balaji has threatened to take legal action against a journalist of The Hindu who had published details about liquor sales for Deebavali through the state-run TASMAC outlets.
On 25 October 2022, Sangeetha Kandavel of The Hindu had posted on her Twitter about the revenue earned by the Tamil Nadu government from liquor sales through its cashcow TASMAC.
Reportedly, the Tamil Nadu government earned a whopping 708.29 crore in the days leading to Deebavali.
Just on Deebavali day, the Tamil Nadu government sold ₹244.08 crores worth liquor through TASMAC.
Tasmac Diwali three day sale for 2022 = Rs. 708.29 crore. On Diwali day, the cash cow of the Tamil Nadu government sold liquor worth Rs.244.08 crore #Tasmac
— Sangeetha Kandavel (@sang1983) October 25, 2022
For furnishing these details in public domain, DMK Minister V. Senthil Balaji who is minister in-charge of TASMAC has refuted the details calling it as false information.
Even the management not yet received the full details, but you are adding false information to the public as 'sales details'. Truly Unethical. Legal action will be taken for spreading false news & creating bad impact on Government. https://t.co/kqi1sETYC0
— V.Senthilbalaji (@V_Senthilbalaji) October 25, 2022
It is worth mentioning that even DMK family-owned Sun News had published the same details.
BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai has condemned the DMK Minister for threatening and gagging the journalist.
In a social media post, Annamalai wrote “The Liquor Minister, who had no time to talk about the suicide attack in Coimbatore, will take action against the journalist who pointed out the income from TASMAC”.
“Is the liquor minister afraid that the commission he gets through these sales will be revealed?”, he had asked.
He had took a jibe at the Minister saying “if the DMK Minister has guts to make a living by selling liquor, imagine what it takes to be a journalist receiving a monthly pay to bring real news to people.”
He also asked if whether journalists have to take permission from DMK for publishing news.
Annamalai further added that the DMK Minister may take action against him rather than going after the journalist.
கோவையில் நடந்த தற்கொலைப்படை தாக்குதலை பற்றி பேச நேரமில்லாத சாராய அமைச்சர், டாஸ்மாக் மூலம் வந்த வருமானத்தை சுட்டிக்காட்டிய பத்திரிகையாளர் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பாராம்.
இந்த விற்பனையின் மூலமாக தனக்குக் கிடைக்கும் கமிஷன் வெளியில் தெரிந்துவிடும் என்று சாராய அமைச்சருக்கு அச்சமா? (1/5) pic.twitter.com/69CjR5qHgv
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 25, 2022
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