Veerapandi S. Arumugam, former Agriculture Minister and a prominent
leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), died on Friday Nov 23,2012 at a
private hospital after a brief illness.
For over 20 years, he was the face of the DMK in the Salem district and held the post of Salem District
Secretary.
Veerapandi S. Arumugam was first elected to the Assembly from the Veerpandi constituency in
1962, won five times later. When the DMK captured power in 1989 after a
gap of 13 years, he became Minister for the first time. In 1996 and 2006
when the DMK returned to power, he held the portfolio of Agriculture.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, the DMK leader lost to his niece and the
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam nominee Vijayalakshmi P.
Palanisamy in the Sankari constituency.
After the AIADMK came to power in May 2011, he was arrested in
connection with six cases of land grabbing. Only a month ago, Mr
Arumugam was released after a six-month-long detention at the Vellore
Jail under under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of
Bootleggers, Drug-offenders, Forest-offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic
Offenders and Slum-grabbers Act, popularly called Goondas Act
Veerapandi S. Arumugam was 73 and is survived by two spouses, two sons including former MLA A. Raja and a daughter.
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