New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday condemned the Enforcement Directorate raids on Tamil Nadu power minister V Senthil Balaji and alleged that it is a blatant misuse of the agency against political opponents. Official sources said searches were conducted in Chennai and Balaji's native Karur, besides in Erode as part of a money laundering investigation.
"These are brazen attempts of the Modi government at harassment and intimidation. Such gross misuse of investigative agencies against political opponents has been the hallmark of the Modi government," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a statement. He said the Congress condemns the blatant misuse of the ED in searching the office of Balaji.
"These tactics will not succeed in silencing the Opposition. They only reinforce its determination and resolve to continue its democratic struggle against the anti-people policies of the Modi government," the Congress chief said. The minister's office room at the state Secretariat in Chennai was among the locations raided by the ED officials. This was the second time in five years that a central probe agency held searches inside the Secretariat.
Income Tax authorities had conducted searches at the seat of power in December 2016 as part of its action against then chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao, days after the death of then chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Balaji, DMK strongman from Karur district, said he was not aware of what the officials were searching at his premises and assured that he will extend full cooperation in the probe.
Chief Minister M K Stalin criticised the agency action against his colleague. "The BJP's politics of backdoor intimidation of those it is unable to face politically will not succeed. The time that they themselves will realise it is nearing," Stalin, also president of the ruling DMK, said in a statement. He particularly took strong objection to the ED officials conducting searches at the office room of Balaji at the Secretariat, saying it was a "blot on federalism." (PTI)
