Chennai, 16 July (H.S.): The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has expelled one of its district-level leaders and police have arrested him after a video allegedly showing him accepting a bribe from a contractor went viral on social media, triggering sharp political criticism and prompting the state government to intensify its anti-corruption campaign.

The action was taken against Veerasamy, the Chengalpattu East district joint secretary of TVK and chairman of the Mambakkam Panchayat Union. The widely circulated video purportedly showed him accepting ₹1.30 lakh from a contractor. Following the video's release, opposition parties accused the ruling TVK of failing to uphold the anti-corruption principles it has repeatedly championed.

Acting swiftly, the party's disciplinary committee removed Veerasamy from its primary membership and stripped him of all organisational responsibilities with immediate effect. Chengalpattu East district secretary C.V. Dinakaran said the disciplinary action was taken because the leader's conduct had brought disrepute to the party. Soon after his expulsion, police arrested Veerasamy and initiated further legal proceedings.

The controversy comes just days after Chief Minister and TVK president C. Joseph Vijay publicly declared at a rally in Karur that his government would show zero tolerance towards corruption and would not protect anyone involved in bribery or abuse of power. The party had also recently launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline inviting the public to report corrupt practices, projecting transparency and accountability as key pillars of its administration.

Amid the controversy, the Tamil Nadu government has directed all government offices, local bodies and public sector undertakings to prominently display anti-corruption boards warning that both giving and accepting bribes are criminal offences. The boards will carry the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate's dedicated WhatsApp number and other contact details to enable citizens to report demands for bribes directly. Government websites will also feature direct links for filing online complaints, while special monitoring teams have been constituted to ensure strict implementation of the new measures across departments.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman