Income Tax authorities on Friday swooped down on over 40 premises, including in Karur and Coimbatore, connected to Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok, triggering a sharp reaction from the DMK which termed the raids as “blackmail” by the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The DMK also took objection to the timing of the raid which came when Chief Minister M K Stalin was travelling abroad to garner investments to the state. Party spokesperson and former MP R S Bharathi also said the DMK never feared any raids by Central agencies and asserted that Stalin will emerge as the “man of the match” in the final game in 2024.
The searches which began early Friday at over 40 premises in Karur, Coimbatore, and other towns in Tamil Nadu were continuing till the time of writing. Sources said the premises were linked to contractors and friends who enjoy close relations with Balaji and Ashok.
High drama prevailed at some of the locations where the raids took place with supporters of Balaji checking vehicles that ferried the I-T men and demanding identity cards from them. A windshield of a vehicle was damaged, while tens of DMK men gathered at various places owned by Ashok and protested against the I-T raids.
Police said since they were not informed about the raids in advance, they couldn’t provide protection at the locations.
Balaji, who also holds excise and prohibition portfolio in the Stalin cabinet, is one of the influential ministers in the DMK from the western region of Tamil Nadu, which has been a citadel of the AIADMK. Balaji is also credited with the DMK’s good performance in the 2022 local body polls in the region, months after the party fared very poorly in the assembly polls.
Though there was no official statement from the I-T department, Balaji told reporters that none of the premises owned by him are being searched by the agency. “They are all connected to my brother and his friends. I will issue a statement when the raids are over,” Balaji said.
Bharathi accused the Union Government of intimidating opposition parties using IT, ED CBI & other agencies. “Political vendetta is the only reason behind the raids against a DMK minister,” he added.
The raids come a month after the I-T department conducted searches at 50 locations related to real estate firm, G Square Realtors Private Limited, in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. They also come close on the heels of Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai releasing ‘DMK Files’ and levelling a series of allegations against senior DMK leaders, including Stalin and his immediate family members.