NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu’s main opposition, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), alleging that “private individuals” close to chief minister C Joseph Vijay regularly attend Cabinet meetings and have even issued directions to government officials.Describing the allegations as “cognizable offences,” the MK Stalin-led party demanded that police register an FIR, conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation, and take action against all those responsible.The complaint, lodged by DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi, named John Arockiasamy and Vishnu Reddy as the two alleged associates of CM Vijay.“It has been seen and reported that John Arockiasamy and Vishnu Reddy, stated to be close associates of the chief minister and residents of Andhra Pradesh, have regularly attended Cabinet meetings, official review meetings and other high-level government deliberations conducted at the Secretariat. It has further been reported that both individuals have been allotted office chambers adjoining the office of the chief minister within the Secretariat,” the complaint alleged.It further claimed that news reports suggested the two “private individuals” had participated in executive decision-making, issued directions to government officials, influenced government policy, or exercised “de facto” executive authority without any lawful appointment or statutory sanction.According to Bharathi, Vijay, as chief minister, holds the highest executive office in the state and is constitutionally bound by the oath of office and secrecy under Article 164(3) of the Constitution. As such, he is under a continuing legal duty to preserve the confidentiality of Cabinet proceedings and other sensitive government business.The central issue requiring investigation, Bharathi argued, is whether Arockiasamy and Reddy are government servants or hold any office or authority recognised under law that authorises them to participate in confidential government proceedings or access classified information.“If they possess no such lawful authority, their presence during Cabinet meetings or confidential review meetings, where Cabinet papers, classified records, official files and sensitive policy matters are discussed, prima facie raises serious offences relating to the unauthorised communication, receipt, possession and use of official information by them, the chief minister, and all other persons who knowingly facilitated such access,” the complaint stated.According to the DMK, Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, criminalises the use of official information by persons not lawfully entitled to it, as well as the unlawful disclosure of such information by persons under a legal duty to preserve secrecy.The complaint further alleged that the matter disclosed “additional offences” under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including criminal conspiracy, abuse or misuse of public office, abetment, and other offences that may emerge during the investigation.Bharathi called on the police to register an FIR, conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation, and proceed against every person found responsible. He demanded that the FIR be registered under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and all other applicable laws.(with PTI inputs)
