- Tamil Nadu, which is set to go to the polls on April 6, has seen a series of raids since Friday.
By hindustantimes.com | Edited by Ayshee Bhaduri, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED APRIL 3, 2021 AT 7:51 PM IST
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) wrote to India’s chief election commissioner on Saturday, claiming “political motivation” behind the numerous Income Tax (IT) raids carried out on the premises of party ministers and their associates. The incumbent party requested the intervention of the commissioner in the matter.
“DMK and Congressional leaders who have influence with bureaucrats and senior officials, have made officials to assault promises belonging to ministers and their associates,” AIADMK wrote in its letter.
The letter from party defender RM Babu Murugavel said that for the past week, DMK and congressional leaders are trying to “corner our leaders and try to prevent them from participating in the election campaign.
Tamil Nadu, which is set to go to the polls on April 6, has seen a series of raids since Friday. The residence of Supreme Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MK Stalin, Senthamarai, was raided by IT officials in Chennai on Friday. Around 28 raids have been carried out in Chennai, Coimbatore and Karur against DMK leaders, PTI reported. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) told PTI that the raids were carried out to verify the “distribution of political cash” in the state.
DMK and its ally, Congress, lashed out at the Center for the raids. Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter on Friday to criticize the Center stating that “attacking the opposition is the BJP’s coping mechanism in the face of electoral defeat.”
“We (DMK) will not be worried about that. Let’s do more searches,” Stalin told a campaign rally in Jayamkondam on Friday.
AIADMK has similarly stated that feeling that the party was close to “claiming victory” they have made “cheap political threats”, adding that “no panchnama has been issued” to the leaders who were raided and that “the authorities did not they have seized money or material ”.
DMK general secretary Duraimurugan told PTI that TI’s raids on AIADMK were merely “eye-washing,” while those on DMK were intended to intimidate them.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in a single phase on April 6. The vote count will take place on May 2.
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