The Income Tax division Friday launched a collection of search operations in Tamil Nadu concentrating on DMK leaders together with DMK chief M Ok Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai. Of the 28 premises searched, 4 belonged to Senthamarai and her husband Sabareesan, thought-about one of the highly effective individuals serving to Stalin within the elections.
The I-T motion commenced at Senthamarai’s residence in Teynampet and Neelankarai within the morning. Subsequently, premises of Lotus Bala, a good friend and businessman near Sabareesan, DMK’s Tiruvannamalai MP C N Annadurai, DMK MLA MK Mohan’s son Karthick Mohan in Anna Nagar in Chennai, and Senthil Balaji, one of the highly effective DMK leaders in central Tamil Nadu, have been additionally searched by the I-T division.
Mohan can also be the state deputy secretary of DMK’s IT wing, a staff that had been working additional time to amplify rallies and speeches of Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi throughout social media platforms.
Stalin who was campaigning at Ariyalur and Perambalur districts mentioned the raids is not going to have an effect on him. “I have seen MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) and Emergency. I would like to tell one thing to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi — this is DMK… do not forget that. I am Kalaignar’s son. You cannot scare us with such raids, we will not surrender the entire state to you like AIADMK leaders after some I-T, CBI raids,” he mentioned.
Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi continued his assault on Modi and Amit Shah in his ballot rallies on Friday too whilst searches have been on at his sister’s home. “Dear Modi, Dear Amit Shah, I am not Edappadi K Palaniswami or O Panneerselvam to fall at your feet. Who am I? I am Udhayanidhi Stalin…,” he mentioned.
Referring to the I-T raids at his sister’s home, Udhayanidhi mentioned: “I am challenging you… I am giving you my house address – 25/9, Cenotaph Road, Sittaranjan Salai, Chennai. I challenge you, come to my house if you have courage… I will show you what all I have.”
Sources within the I-T division mentioned searches have been performed on three teams and some people in Tamil Nadu — all of those are concerned in companies starting from distilleries and breweries, actual property, native financing and solar energy EPC. “Part of these are alleged to have been actively assisting in political cash distribution,” a supply mentioned. “All the premises are in Chennai, Coimbatore and Karur. Several incriminating materials on tax evasion have been found… A total of 28 premises are covered under Section 132 of the I-T Act,” the supply mentioned, including searches have been nonetheless on.
Meanwhile, the DMK despatched a letter to the Election Commission alleging that “the Income Tax department has been used as a sword and as a pawn in the hands of the ruling BJP party”. It mentioned “there are no reasons as to why these searches are being conducted few days before the election date.”
The letter mentioned the “intention of the AIADMK-BJP led alliance was to “somehow or the other, tarnish the image of DMK.” It mentioned the DMK was being focused after the Centre had sensed an enormous victory for the occasion within the polls.
The DMK’s allies Congress and the Left hit out on the Central authorities over the raids. Many different opposition events additionally rallied behind the DMK.
“Raiding the opposition is BJP’s coping mechanism when facing electoral defeat,” tweeted senior Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the BJP-led authorities of misusing Central businesses. “The gross misuse of central agencies as a political tool is condemnable. Facing imminent defeat, the BJP is resorting to intimidate and browbeat opposition. This will only steel people’s resolve to comprehensively defeat BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu. Everywhere,” Yechury mentioned.
Trinamool Congress chief Derek O’Brien mentioned there was nothing new in such raids. “What’s new! At BJP and MO-SHA’s command the agencies act. Brazen political vendetta in Tamil Nadu against a political opponent you cannot defeat politically. We strongly condemn the blatant political vendetta against DMK and M K Stalin,” he mentioned.
“Dear M K Stalin ji..We have had enough of these from the ‘Dirty Trick Department’. Brazenly using these agencies for ‘political goal’ is the NEW NORMAL by BJP….They should realize not all can be scared by these intimidating techniques. Fight On!!” tweeted senior RJD chief Manoj Kumar Jha.
“I strongly condemn motivated & revengeful raids in the house & premises of M K Stalin’s son in law. This shows frustration on the part of BJP and AIADMK that they conceded defeat in the election BJP Govt misusing official machinery is blatant,” former Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy mentioned.
Veteran DMK chief Duraimurugan mentioned his occasion is not going to be cowed down by earnings tax searches and termed these as “politically motivated.” Ok Balakrishnan, state secretary of CPI(M), Dalit occasion VCK’s chief Thol Thirumavalavan additionally condemned the raids.
(With inputs from Aanchal Magazine in New Delhi)