Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana has threatened legal action against those accusing her of corruption, rejecting allegations of a Rs 3 crore commission in a bridge project and claims about her personal wealth as "baseless and malicious". Asserting that she has neither demanded nor accepted a bribe, Keerthana said changing figures and repeated allegations without evidence cannot be passed off as facts.Her remarks come amid allegations that the minister's supporters threatened a contractor, demanding up to Rs 3 crore in bribes to resume work on the Thiruthangal railway overbridge in Sivakasi.In a statement, the Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce in the Joseph Vijay-led government said there was a clear distinction between criticism of her work and deliberately spreading false allegations about her personal or professional integrity."Let me state this unequivocally: I have not taken a single rupee in corruption money.
I have neither demanded nor accepted a bribe, nor have I engaged in any act of financial impropriety," she said in a detailed statement. She added, "I have been questioned, mocked and doubted since the day I took office, and I accept that public life comes with scrutiny.
But an allegation of corruption is not ordinary criticism. It calls into question my integrity and the trust that people have placed in me.
Such allegations must be supported by facts, not sustained through insinuation and repetition".The minister cited a series of allegations levelled against her in recent weeks, including claims about the value of a house she allegedly owned, the jewellery she wore during a visit to Tirupati and an alleged commission linked to a bridge project. According to Keerthana, claims about her house initially put its value at Rs 4 crore before the figure was raised to Rs 10 crore.
She also said a fashion necklace she wore during her Tirupati visit was portrayed as a gold coin chain.The latest allegation, she said, concerned a purported Rs 3 crore commission in connection with a bridge project. Keerthana claimed that the contractor concerned had himself disputed the allegation."The numbers keep changing, the stories keep shifting, but substantiated evidence remains absent," she said, describing the allegations as fabrications driven by malicious intent.She argued that repeated circulation of such claims on social media and in public discourse could not make them appear credible in the absence of supporting evidence.The minister said she did not expect to be above scrutiny or seek immunity from questions about her decisions and performance."I am prepared to answer legitimate questions and be judged on my work," she said, inviting anyone with genuine evidence of wrongdoing to approach the competent authorities.Keerthana added that she would cooperate fully with the authorities if evidence of wrongdoing was presented.
However, she said she would not accept the deliberate presentation of unsubstantiated allegations as established facts.WARNS OF LEGAL ACTION AGAINST FURTHER ALLEGATIONSThe minister warned that any further allegations of corruption or impropriety that she considers baseless and malicious would invite appropriate and proportionate legal action."Those who make serious allegations must be prepared to substantiate them with facts and evidence," she said.Keerthana also cautioned those circulating allegations without verifying their truthfulness that they must be prepared to face the consequences provided for under the law.While acknowledging that freedom of expression was fundamental to democracy, she said it could not be treated as a licence to malign individuals through fabricated claims.The minister said she had entered public life to serve the people of Tamil Nadu and did not want to spend her time responding to what she described as manufactured controversies."Criticise our work as sharply as you wish. Question our decisions.
Demand accountability. I will always respect that right, and genuine criticism will be heard, acknowledged and acted upon," she said.However, she maintained that deliberate falsehoods and fabricated allegations of corruption would not be tolerated, adding that she would defend her integrity through every appropriate legal means.- Ends