Periyar Arivulagam library faces corruption allegations over book procurement

The Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore is at the center of a major corruption scandal following allegations by writer Perumal Murugan. Murugan claims that approximately 1,800 low-quality or fake books, primarily from publishers such as Agal Vilakku and Phoenix, were purchased at highly inflated prices. He noted that books typically valued at 350 rupees were reportedly sold to the government for over 1,400 rupees each, resulting in losses of crores of rupees.

In response to the controversy, approximately 1,800 books from the implicated publishers have been removed from the library shelves and placed in storage pending further investigation. The books reportedly contain significant historical inaccuracies and were allegedly produced using artificial intelligence.

The scandal has triggered intense political friction. While the current administration attributes the procurement contracts to the previous DMK government, opposition leaders, including Edappadi K. Palaniswami, have criticized the current government for failing to verify the library's contents before its inauguration by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay. Meanwhile, Seeman's VCK party has called for a formal inquiry commission to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable.