BJP demands answers from Vijay over alleged ₹22cr fund siphoning
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu has demanded answers from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay after reports of a massive cyber fraud. Over ₹22 crore were allegedly siphoned off from the state's government bank accounts, according to a report by Dinamalar. The funds were reportedly taken from three accounts of the Rural Development Department, with crores stolen from Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam, and Tiruppur districts.
Accountability questioned
'Where were the security checks, financial controls, and monitoring mechanisms?'
BJP State Secretary Vinoj P Selvam slammed the Vijay-led TVK government for its negligence.
He asked how cybercriminals managed to access multiple government accounts and execute transactions worth crores without triggering security alarms.
"How did cybercriminals allegedly penetrate government payment systems? How were transactions worth crores executed?" Selvam questioned.
"Where were the security checks, financial controls and monitoring mechanisms?" he asked.
Social media criticism
BJP leader slams CM Vijay for managing hashtags
Selvam also slammed CM Vijay for focusing on managing hashtags instead of ensuring good governance.
He said, "An actor's fan club and its social media army have gone from trending hashtags to running a state government."
He stressed that managing a state and managing hashtags are two different things.
"Unfortunately, managing hashtags and managing a state are two very different things," he said.
Transparency demand
'Funds meant for constructing rural health and wellness centers'
Selvam ended his post demanding transparent answers, stronger institutions, and a government that can safeguard public funds.
The Dinamalar report detailed the siphoned amounts: ₹14 crore from Ramanathapuram district's Mandapam Panchayat Union, ₹3.10 crore from Nagapattinam district, and ₹5 crore from Dharapuram Panchayat Union in Tiruppur district.
These funds were meant for constructing rural health and wellness centers under the 15th Finance Commission grants.
Fraud investigation
Suspected involvement of Nigerian gang
A separate report by Indian Express Tamil also mentioned the alleged cyber fraud and the suspected involvement of a Nigerian gang.
However, it named Tambaram in Chengalpattu district as one of the affected areas instead of Dharapuram.
The Chennai Cyber Crime Police are probing this case, looking into IP addresses used by hackers and bank accounts that received siphoned funds.