Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
DMK, BJP approach poll panel as TN election battle heats up
DMK terms I-T raids on the premises of Stalin’s kin a ‘misuse’ of power; BJP seeks disqualification of Stalin’s son over comments on Modi
CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) separately approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, as the intensity of the campaign for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, on April 6, increased.
The DMK wrote to the Election Commission after income tax officials on Friday raided premises belonging to its president MK Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai and son-in-law Sabareesan, including their residence in Neelankarai, Chennai. It said in the letter that the tax department was being used as a “sword” and is a “pawn” in the hands of the BJP.
The BJP, which is an ally of the state’s ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), filed a complaint with the EC, seeking the disqualification of MK Stalin’s son and DMK candidate from Chennai’s ChepaukThiruvallikeni constituency, Udhayanidhi Stalin, for his comment that late Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj died due to pressure exerted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Udhayanidhi’s comments are ridiculous, defamatory and libellous in nature slandering the office of the Prime Minister,” said BJP’s general secretary Karu Nagarajan in a letter to the ECI.
Sabareesan keeps a low profile but is known to wield power behind the scenes and is a key decision-maker in the DMK. “Searches are still going on at four places. Since it is a sensitive raid, we do not want to disclose details,” said an I-T official. “The entire intention of the AIADMK-BJP alliance is to somehow or other tarnish the image of DMK and therefore sensing that there is a massive victory for DMK in the ensuing elections, now the officials of the Income Tax department are misused by the ruling BJP party…,” stated the letter written to the EC by DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi.
Stalin, campaigning in Ariyalur district, said the DMK could not be scared by such raids. “I heard that 30 tax officials have entered my daughter’s house and there are hundreds of policemen. Let me tell Prime Minister Modi one thing. We are not the AIADMK [All India Anna Dravida Munnetra] Kazhagam] to be afraid... I am MK Stalin, I have seen MISA [Maintenance of Internal Security Act] and Emergency itself,” said Stalin, referring to the law that gave sweeping powers to the Centre during the state of Emergency in the 1970s. Stalin was among those detained under MISA.
Stalin also wrote to his party cadre, urging them not to be distracted by the raids. Also on Friday, Udhayanidhi Stalin dared the tax department to raid him. “They are raiding my younger sister today... My address is 25/9, Cenotaph Road, Chittaranjan Salai, Chennai. If you have guts, come to my house .”
The tax department also conducted raids at DMK’s Anna Nagar candidate MK Mohan’s house and at the residence of Karur candidate Senthil Balaji. Last month, the tax department raided the premises of senior DMK leader and candidate EV Velu.
The BJP denied allegations of using the I-T department. “The tax department operates on its own, based on the information it gets,” said BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy. “The BJP and the central government are not involved.”
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments on Swaraj and Jaitley were made in response to PM’s criticism against him. On Tuesday, Modi campaigned in Dharapuram for BJP’s state chief L Murugan where he said, “The uncrowned prince (Udhayanidhi) has sidelined several leaders in the DMK to come up.”
On Wednesday, Udhayanidhi arrived in Dharapuram to campaign and read out a list of the names of BJP leaders who he alleged that Modi sidelined. “From being the CM of Gujarat, Modi successfully sidelined several senior leaders like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Yashwant Sinha left the party, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley died unable to handle the pressure and torture of Modi.”
On Thursday, Swaraj’s daughter Bansuri Swaraj took to Twitter and tagged the DMK’s youth wing leader’s handle to criticise his remarks. “...please do not use my Mother’s memory for your poll propaganda. Your statements are false!,” she tweeted.
Arun Jaitley’s daughter Sonia Jaitley also tweeted a similar message saying, “...I know there is election pressure, but I won’t stay silent when you lie and disrespect my father’s memory.” “Dad @arunjaitley & Shri @narendramodi ji shared a special bond that was beyond politics. I pray you are lucky enough to know such friendship...,” she tweeted
The ruling AIADMK-BJP combine has targeted the DMK for dynastic politics especially after Udhayanidhi was given a ticket to contest from his grandfather’s borough in Chennai’s Chepauk.
Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday posed a question, asking if the electorate wanted growth in TN or growth for Udhayanidhi. In response, Udhayanidhi asked at a meeting how Shah’s son Jay Shah became the secretary of the Board of Control of Cricket (BCCI) at the age of 32. “He doesn’t even know how to play cricket.” With campaigning expected to peak over the weekend, analysts expect more salvos from both sides.