Talking to media here he said that the allegations were a systematically planned campaign to malign him and his party.

The Textile Minister said that he became a “political untouchable” after tendering his resignation in May 2008.

“After I resigned in May, there could have been an investigation. That was my position then. I was a political untouchable during that period. When I was not a minister nobody wanted to get in touch with me. I have never helped anyone. I was pushed out of political circle,” he said.

On allegations that he got BSNL to connect over 300 telephone lines to his Chennai house for his family business, he said, “What they have questioned is not only my integrity but my family’s integrity, my party’s integrity,” he said.

Asserting that he had never helped anyone, nor was he benefited, Maran said, “If I have done any wrong, I am open for any kind of probe.”

Citing a letter from the State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd when he was the Union Telecom Minister, Maran said, “The letter from BSNL shows, I have only one phone connection.”