Chennai, Nov 6 The opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Friday demanded a high-level probe into the alleged multi-crore book procurement scam for the newly inaugurated Periyar Arivulagam Library in Coimbatore.
The controversy, initially exposed by writer Perumal Murugan, involves accusations that thousands of high-priced, low-quality books from non-existent publishers, some allegedly generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI), were pushed into the library during the previous DMK regime.
School Education Minister A Rajmohan announced that a complete probe has been launched into the procurement files.
The entire file is being submitted to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for immediate action, Rajmohan said condemning the irregularities.
“A scam in a library bearing the name of Periyar is unacceptable. To borrow the words of my leader and Chief Minister, we will not spare anyone” the Minister told reporters here.
He pointed out that nearly 1,800 fraudulent or substandard books from a suspected fake entity named ‘Agalvilakku Pathippagam’ were pushed through during the previous DMK government’s tenure.
AMMK General Secretary T TV Dhinakaran urged the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to constitute a Special Investigation Team to uncover the truth behind the procurement process. Highlighting reports that thousands of books were manufactured using AI under the guise of non-existent publishers, Dhinakaran questioned the administrative lapses that allowed the scam to take place.
“Everyone involved from the initial tender allocation to the final monetary transactions must be thoroughly interrogated,” Dhinakaran stated and urged the state government to conduct an immediate audit across all public libraries in Tamil Nadu to weed out similar fraudulent material.
Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan, an ally of the DMK, labelled the “fraudulent procurement” as the “greatest insult to the Tamil language.”
Expressing deep concern over the long-term impact on education and research, Haasan warned that if students read, cite, and base their academic works on such error-ridden texts, it would permanently destroy the credibility of Tamil scholarship.
“Whoever committed this act has betrayed the Tamil language. I urge the Government of Tamil Nadu to immediately withdraw these fake books from all libraries, dump them on the streets, and burn them. The fraudulent publishing houses involved must be sealed immediately,” Haasan said, while also expressing gratitude to writer Perumal Murugan for exposing the racket.
PMK prsident Dr Anbumani Ramadoss demanded a dual-layered probe by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) and a separate Commission of Inquiry.
He pointed out specific financial discrepancies highlighted by critics, noting that a 300-page book titled Naladiyar: Vazhvin Vazhkatti was purchased for an exorbitant Rs 1,445, whereas established publishers sell the standard text for just Rs 350.
“Corruption in matters relating to education and libraries is absolutely unacceptable. It is unconscionable to spend public funds on books that are neither authentic nor useful to readers. The government must order a DVAC probe and constitute a Commission of Inquiry to expose the forces behind this corruption,” Ramadoss said in a statement.
The IT Wing of the ruling TVK launched an aggressive online campaign against the DMK leadership, accusing them of siphoning off Rs 50 crore under the pretext of building an “intellectual temple.”
It cited bizarre historical inaccuracies found in the newly procured books, including a text on the history of Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers which falsely claimed that between 1969-1976 and 1989-1991, various schemes were implemented under the leadership of M K Stalin for the progress of Tamil Nadu.”
“Is this the literary merit and grammar meant for our children? Did the DMK leadership, which claimed to personally supervise every micro-detail of the Periyar Arivulagam, know about this massive book procurement fraud?” the TVK IT wing questioned.
DMK propaganda joint secretary, Coimbatore, Rajivgandhi Radhakrishnan asserted that the publishers knew that books were procurred for libraries in a transparent manner during the previous DMK regime.
“Writer Perumal Murugan, who brought these irregularities to light, was also on the book selection committee,” he said.
He wondered if Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay issued a statement without knowing the facts.
Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman said buying fake books generated by artificial intelligence is the biggest fraud in the history of book purchasing for a knowledge centre.
He urged the state government to take steps to immediately remove the fake books and to conduct a judicial inquiry into the purchase irregularities, and take appropriate action against all those involved in the scam.
BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said both the previous DMK rgime and the current TVK government must be held accountable on this issue.
The previous DMK government conceived and executed a nearly Rs 300 crore project in the name of social reformer Periyar and then allowed the procurement of roughly 1,800 books from an obscure publisher at inflated prices, raising serious questions, he said.
“It is a clear misuse of public funds and a betrayal of the very purpose of the institution,” he said calling for a full, transparent, and independent investigation into the book procurement scam.
Condemning the incident AIADMK media wing state secrtary Kovai Sathyan asked the state government to clarify the issue.
(PTI News)
