Shadow Power at the Secretariat: DMK Demands FIR Over 'Private Individuals' in Cabinet Meetings

The opposition party has moved the DGP, alleging that two unofficial aides are accessing sensitive government deliberations and occupying chambers within the state’s power center.

The corridors of the Secretariat are usually guarded by strict protocols, but a fresh political storm is brewing over who exactly gets a seat at the table. The DMK has officially escalated its standoff with the C. Joseph Vijay administration, filing a formal complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP) to demand an FIR against two individuals—John Arockiasamy and Vishnu Reddy—who are allegedly acting as "shadow" power brokers within the government.

The complaint, spearheaded by DMK organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi, alleges that these two private individuals, both described as residents of Andhra Pradesh and close associates of the Chief Minister, have been fixtures at high-level government deliberations. The crux of the accusation is that they have been permitted to sit in on cabinet meetings and official review sessions, gaining access to classified information without any official status, government employment, or authorization under the Tamil Nadu Government Business Rules.

A breach of constitutional oath?

Beyond the optics, the DMK’s move hits at the heart of administrative ethics. Bharathi’s complaint invokes the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, arguing that the presence of non-government actors in confidential cabinet meetings is not just a breach of protocol, but a potential criminal conspiracy.

The party has pointed to a troubling detail: these individuals have allegedly been allotted office chambers right next to the Chief Minister’s own office. For a state where the Chief Minister is constitutionally bound by the Oath of Office and Secrecy under Article 164(3), the allegation that sensitive government business is being shared with "private individuals" is being framed as an abdication of constitutional duty.

Why it matters

This development comes as the state government attempts to project stability elsewhere. Just recently, Finance Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Thiagarajan was nominated as the state’s representative for the upcoming GST Council meeting—a move that signals an effort to restore professional, transparent fiscal governance. However, the DMK’s focus on the "shadow cabinet" allegation suggests the opposition is keen to contrast that professional image with what it characterizes as a "parallel power center" operating in the shadows of the Secretariat.

The implications here are twofold. First, it places the DGP in a difficult position, forcing the state’s top police leadership to investigate allegations that strike directly at the Chief Minister’s inner circle. Second, it shifts the political narrative from policy debates to the integrity of the administrative process. If the investigation proceeds, the government will be forced to clarify the legal standing of these aides—or risk further claims that the sanctity of the cabinet has been compromised. For now, the Secretariat remains under the scanner, not just for its policies, but for who exactly is holding the pen when those policies are drafted.