All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday accused Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of speaking contrary to truth on the issue of arrest of industrialist R. Veeramani of Gem Granites under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Mr. Palaniswami, who was in the Madurantakam (SC) Assembly Constituency in support of his party’s nominee Kanitha Sampath, wondered why the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government had delayed the arrest of the industrialist, a move that had been carried out at the insistence of a special court. In fact, the arrest had been ordered after a government pleader had sought adjournment on a few occasions and a “further action dropped” report was filed.

The AIADMK leader alleged that at a function, two Ministers from the TVK had shared the stage with Veeramani, and one of them had called the industrialist a “family friend.” Contending that the present regime was “shielding”  the accused, he said this was the first time that a government, by blaming some other party, had resorted to telling an “utter lie” and gaining sympathy.

Mr. Palaniswami said the State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) P. Shanmugam’s stand on the issue was also similar. He criticised the Chief Minister for “acting in real life too” and not just in feature films.

The AIADMK leader, who campaigned in Ramapuram, L. Endathur, and Elappakkam of the constituency, where a bypoll is slated, gave an account of instances of crime, including murders and violence against women, since the TVK-led regime took office.