New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday accused the BJP leadership of “anti-people” politics and “doing its politics through the ED.” He posted a video on his official Twitter handle in which he attacked the ED for its treatment of his cabinet colleague V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the agency. He said the DMK leader faced “unfair troubles” and “mental pressure” from the ED over a 10-year-old case.
He said Balaji’s mental and physical health was affected and he even developed a serious heart condition because of the ED. He asked if there could be any more blatant political vendetta. Caption of MK Stalin’s Twitter video says, “Don’t try to corner DMK cadres. We also know all kinds of politics. This is not intimidation but warning.”
The CM said it is not wrong if Balaji was enquired based on some complaint or related court order but that he was no ordinary person who could abscond. “He is an elected MLA and a five-time legislator and is a minister for the second time. He attends a lot of public events,” Stalin said in the video.
“What is the need to enquire such person by confining him like a terrorist. When the ED officials came, he gave full cooperation and said he was ready to give whatever explanation sought by them. Despite this, he was confined for 18 hours, was not allowed to meet anyone. When his health got worse only then did they take him to hospital. If they had been ignorant then, it would have been a grave danger for his life,” the CM added.
“What is the emergency for such an enquiry. Is there an undeclared emergency in the country. Looks so going by the ED’s activity. To put it simply, the BJP leadership wants to do its politics through the ED; its is not ready to do politics by meeting people. They are also not ready to trust BJP. People will believe it only if it does politics for them. BJP’s politics is anti-people,” he said attacking the saffron party.
Balaji was arrested on Wednesday by the ED in connection with a cash for jobs scam when he was Transport minister in the late Jayalalithaa-led cabinet. He has since been hospitalised after he complained of chest pain.
Bureau Report
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