CHENNAI : Opposition parties including Congress, TMC and DMK hit out at the BJP alleging that the party is using Central agencies to harass Opposition parties and leaders. Reactions from various Opposition leaders came following I-T searches at the residence of DMK leader Kanimozhi in Tuticorin from where she is contesting the polls. The tax raids were conducted two days ahead of the polls in the area.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee came out in support of Kanimozhi, saying she is being harassed as DMK is opposed to BJP’s divisive politics in south India. “It is a shame that BJP is using central agencies against opposition leaders and parties to harass them. Yesterday the Income Tax (department) without any reason raided Kanimozhi’s house. Just because DMK and its leader MK Stalin are opposed to Modi and BJP, they (DMK leaders) are being unnecessarily harassed,” Banerjee said at a rally in West Bengal.
Stalin, in a statement at Chennai, said that the raids were an outcome of “fear of a damning defeat,” for BJP’s candidate Tamilisai Soundararajan in Tuticorin.Many Congress leaders criticised the raids on Wednesday. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram took to twitter to express his reactions. In a series of tweets, said “the news” is that nothing was found during searches in her residence. He also alleged that the I-T department was taking “autocratic and partial” action in Tamil Nadu in the run up to Lok Sabha elections.“How is it that tip off on opposition leaders alone is received (by officials),” he wondered in his tweet in Tamil.
Congress spokesperson
Randeep Surjewala alleged that motivated IT raids is the only tool left with Modi, and said the people can see through this. “Hounding Opposition leaders through motivated IT raids is the only tool left with Modiji. BJP has four allies- PM Modi, Sh Shah, ED and IT to fight these elections. People of India are seeing through this, they will give a befitting reply to BJP on May 23,” he said.