Have faced MISA, won’t be intimidated by this: Stalin
The DMK has brushed aside the Income Tax Department raids on its party president MK Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai and a few party candidates’ houses as intimidation tactics and abuse of power by the ruling BJP and AIADMK to stifle the Opposition.
Responding to the raids, Stalin who was busy campaigning in Jayankondam, said, “I am Stalin, son of Karunanidhi. I have seen MISA and emergency. I will not be cowed down by such intimidations.”
As if it were not enough, Stalin tweeted, “They don’t have people’s support. BJP is abusing power as usual after sensing definite defeat. We are not AIADMK to prostrate after such intimidation. People will pass their verdict for your miscalculations on April 6.” Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai and few party candidates were only the latest in the opposition ranks to face I-T raids. A little over a week ago, similar raids were conducted in DMK district secretary EV Velu’s residence and the college owned by him.
The DMK did not stop with the statements. DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi petitioned the Election Commission of India (EC), asking it to stop the I-T Department from abusing its power. In his petition to the EC, Bharathi requested the Commission to “intervene and direct the Income Tax Department to refrain itself from abusing its power during the elections thereby affecting the level playing field of all political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu and oblige.”
Bharathi also added that the act of I-T officials “amounts to corrupt practice falling within the definition of Section 123(7) of RP Act and those officials under the garb of discharge of official duties are abusing their powers for the purpose of poll prospects of the AIADMK- BJP combine and all the officials involved in these operations will be named and tried accordingly in accordance with law.
