DMK cadres respond to land grab charges with RTI queries against cops.

The Times of India:A SubburajA Subburaj: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011.

COIMBATORE: DMK cadres in Tirupur have retaliated to the several land grab cases slapped against their party bosses by filing RTI queries regarding police officials.

District Superintendent of Police (SP) V Balakrishnan has 10 such queries filed against him, forcing him to spend a major portion of his work hours to put together the requested information. Balakrishnan was instrumental in initiating at least four land grab cases involving top DMK leaders including former minister Pongalur Palanaisamy, Chepauk MLA J Anbazhagan, senior leader Pongalur S Mani and youth leader Pyntamil Pari.

"Each RTI query wants information on my family, details of assets, income including salary, movable and immovable properties and even highly personal matters. As I have nothing to hide, I a now gathering whatever information is required to reply to their queries,'' said Balakrishnan.

According to DMK sources, the legal wing of the party has taken on the responsibility of preparing the queries. As far as we are concerned, it is a valid mode of protest against officials who act tough on us. Our party patriarch M Karunanidhi himself encouraged us to make life complicated for officials who file cases against party leaders by using provisions of the RTI,'' said a senior party leader, who preferred to remain anonymous. According to him, the party plans to file RTI queries against West Zone IG A Vanniyaperumal, Coimbatore City Police Commissioner Amaresh Pujari, Coimbatore rural SP E S Uma and Salem City Police Commisioner A K Sokkalingam.

Besides Balakrishnan, two inspectors of the anti-land grab cell in Tirupur are also facing the RTI threat. Inspectors Vetrivendan and Senthilkumar have received 10 petitions each on Friday and are in the process of gathering information in reply. Each petition consists of 101 questions, including details of their wards, where they study and the school fees paid," revealed a DMK functionary.

There are also questions regarding the monthly family budget of officials and spending details of their family members. "The DMK hit list gives prominence to police officers who act tough on land grabbers. But the overall feeling inside the police force is that they are unnecessarily being harassed by the opposition party," said a senior police officer.