ED held raids in TN Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji's chamber at the Secretariat. (Manivasagan N)
CHENNAI: Solidarity poured in from across the country for the ruling DMK after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided many places related to State Electricity, Excise, and Prohibition Minister V Senthilbalaji, including his office at the state secretariat in Fort St George.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge who was among the first to react to the raid condemned the "blatant misuse of the ED in searching the office of TN electricity minister V Senthil Balaji" and said, "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."
"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, " Kharge added in a statement issued early Tuesday evening.
West Bengal chief minister cum AITMC leader Mamata Banerjee tweeted, "I condemn the political vendetta by BJP against DMK @arivalayam today. "Misuse of central agencies continues. ED raids in Tamil Nadu at the office of Minister for Prohibition and Excise at the state secretariat and his official residence are unacceptable. Desperate acts by BJP, " added Mamata, whose nephew Abhishek Banerjee is also on the radar of the central agencies.
Concurring with the rest of the opposition, Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, whose two ministers were subjected to similar raids and even arrest, tweeted, "BJP's misuse of central agencies to harass and intimidate the opposition continues unabated. Strongly condemn the ED raids against Thiru V Senthil Balaji, Tamil Nadu's Electricity Minister. Blinded by political vendetta, the BJP is causing irreversible damage to our democracy."
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar condemned the raid and said, "With the raids on Senthil Balaji's office, ED has now ventured to the southern states with its sinister motive to crush the voice against undemocratic Central Government."
