CM Stalin slams ED raid against TN minister, says BJP is resorting to 'politics of intimidation'

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 13 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government for the ED searches against a Tamil Nadu minister in the Secretariat and said that the party is resorting to 'politics of intimidation'.

This comes after the Enforcement Directorate officials searched state minister V Senthil Balaji's chamber in the Secretariat.

Condemning the ED's search in the Secretariat, Stalin said that BJP's politics of threatening their political rivals through backdoor tactics won't work for long.

"BJP leadership is enacting 'politics of intimidation'. BJP's bid to intimidate through backdoor tactics like ED raids won't work," he said.

He further said that conducting a raid in the Secretariat is against the federal structure and it doesn't matter on whom the raid was conducted but what matters is where the raid was conducted.

"It doesn't matter on whom the raid was conducted, but it matters where the raid was carried out. Union Home Minister has severely criticised DMK in a public meeting in Vellore, and we gave proper counter-argument to all the allegations. Conducting a raid in the Secretariat is against the federal structure," Stalin said.

Stalin also questioned the ED's search in the minister's office and asked was the raid done to threaten the state government.

He said, "What is the need for conducting the search in the minister's office in the secretariat? Is this to threaten us and show that they can conduct such raids?

"This is proof that these agencies are used for a political vendetta," he added.

V. Senthil Balaji is the Minister of Electricity, Prohibition and Coordination Karur District Secretary in the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government.