While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has been addressing the importance of protecting the water bodies and rainwater drainage systems in all of his public addresses, the family of the state's minister who is part of the cabinet has been directing the different scenes that slipped away from the Chief Minister's notion as the son of the minister has allegedly been unleashing series atrocities in acquiring the drainage system by building a business complex. 

The state minister for Rural Industries Benjamin and his family owns land that resides near to Minjur and Thiruvottiyur 100 feet road in Ponneri, Thiruvallur district. The Stream Canal of about 30 feet sits between the land of the minister and the road that has now brought in the controversies after the minister's son Vijay Berlin had reportedly acquired the canal and pillared to construct a business complex. Initially, by citing that he is the son of the state minister, the local people were reluctant to voice against the atrocity of the minister's son. But later, after understanding the cranky and disastrous effect on building the complex, the people have gathered and collectively protested against the minister and his son.

After the reports of series protests have erupted across the state, the local police department, which is supposed to detain the people for illegally acquiring the land, had arrested the people at midnight. When we questioned about the protest, one of the protestors and the party man of communist party had quoted the proposals of Chief Minister in protecting the water bodies and drainage systems and blamed the minister who is part of the cabinet for purportedly violating the proposals and constructing business complex and he condemned the police for taking brutal actions against the people who voiced against the breach. While describing the violation, he had shown the evidence that the land belongs to the minister, his wife, and his son.

He further asserted that the land already houses a petrol station and the canal and Vijay Berlin has bricked to raise the building on the top of the canal that has been opposed by the people and after reported with the unrest, the police inspector of Ponneri arrived at the site and dispersed the people by halting the constructions works. But his order doesn't last for one day as the building works had resumed the next day. The people had again camped their protests and the local development officer had claimed that the construction works have been approved by the government. 

They have carried out the protests to the Taluk officer by questioning the district authorities on the possibilities of consenting for the construction in the place of the canal which falls under the administration of the state's revenue department. Local people had literally fallen on the feet of Dhashildar but no hope was given to the local people on their demand of freeing the canal from the hands of constructions. The police department has arrested two teenagers Madhan and Balaji, who are part of India's democratic students union from their houses around 1.30 am of midnight and the people searched for them in Ponneri police station but they were not there and after a long wait, they were identified to be locked up in Thiruppalaivanam police station and after the people organized huge protests against the arrests, the police have released them and now they have halted the construction works.

When we reached the local Thashildar to inquire about the matter, he said that he was the one to halt the works and further asked to contact the Revenue Divisional Officer after which he disconnected the call. While asked about the police actions with the police inspector, he claimed that the people unnecessarily organized a gathering and demonstrations that had led the police to detain them and he refused to answer for alleged arrests over midnights. 

Finally, we have reached directly to minister Benjamin and he admitted that his son owns the land and asserted that his son has been constructing a complex with legal approvals and branded Balaji as the party man of the rival AMMK party in Tamil Nadu and accused Balaji of threatening his son to give Rs 2 lakhs and Balaji organized protests after his son refused to give him the money. He added that based on our complaint, the police have detained him and since the complaint has been withdrawn, he has now let to walk free. By reaching Balaji through the minister's claim, he rebutted and denied the accusations and cited that he is not only one to protest but the entire people of the village had protested against the construction and he concluded with frustrations that everything will be addressed with the final solution.