Book procurement row at Coimbatore library triggers probe and political row

Literary and political friction has gripped Tamil Nadu following allegations of massive irregularities in book purchases for the newly opened Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore.

What Happened

Sahitya Akademi winner Perumal Murugan revealed on November 6, 2026, that thousands of overpriced books were bought for the library. He stated that these volumes featured questionable authorship, many factual errors, and signs of being artificially generated by AI. He also noted that the purchase prices were heavily inflated well above normal market rates for similar titles. The matter has since moved toward a Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption inquiry alongside court intervention.

Investigation and Politics

Investigators have now widened the scope of the probe to cover inventories across multiple other libraries in the state. Meanwhile, the dispute has sparked sharp political friction between the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Context

Publicly funded libraries rely on transparent procurement processes to ensure public money is spent wisely on quality literature. Investigations by anti-corruption agencies typically aim to verify if financial rules were bypassed during such large-scale institutional purchases.