Stalin Hits Back Amid IT Raids At Son-in-Law Sabareesan’s Premises

Amid Income Tax raids in his son-in-law’s premises on Friday, DMK chief MK Stalin has said that his party was not afraid of “these disturbances”.

Stalin said, “I want to tell Modi just one thing. We are the DMK. We are not scared by these disturbances.”

Just four days ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021, the Income Tax Department raided four places in Chennai linked to the DMK, including the coast-side residence son-in-law of Stalin, Sabareesan, according to sources aware of developments. The places of residence raided include that of the son of DMK’s Anna Nagar candidate, Mohan.

Sources said one of the premises raided includes a residence belonging to Sabareesan where election strategist Prashant Kishor holds his strategy meetings with the DMK.

Meanwhile, DMK MP RS Bharathi has written to the Tamil Nadu CEC saying the BJP was using the IT Department as its sword. “The Income Tax department has been used as a sword and as a pawn in the hands of the ruling BJP party and there are no reasons as to why these searches are being conducted few days before the election date.”

Durai Murugan, senior leader of the DMK was of the opinion was that such raids were only to threaten the DMK. “We will not fear for such oppressive tactics. They think that if Sendhamarai ( Stalin’s daughter) feels bad, Stalin would get upset. Such IT raids at DMK person’s residences are only to only threaten them.”

The DMK had earlier claimed political vendetta by the BJP during the recent raids at residences linked to DMK strongman EV Velu. Income Tax officials had also made cash seizures during the raids at 10 locations at his hometown Tiruvannamalai.

Tamil Nadu goes to polls on April 6. The DMK hopes to come back to power ten years after the late J Jayalalithaa stormed to power in 2011.