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NEW DELHI: The BJP Wednesday accused Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin of doublespeak, reminding him of DMK’s earlier statements where it had claimed V Senthil Balaji, then in AIADMK, was corrupt, even as opposition parties, led by Congress, condemned the ED action and called it another example of the Centre using investigating agencies to “harass” political opponents.
At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said the action against the state minister was based on evidence and observations of the Supreme Court. “As opposition leader, Stalin had gone after Balaji and made serious allegations of corruption against him but compromised when he came to power and the accused joined the DMK,” Islam said. “Stalin then dropped all the charges.”
Citing PM Modi’s comments, Islam said while BJP was working to safeguard people’s future, state governments run by parties like TMC, Congress, RJD, DMK had rate cards for jobs.
Taking a critical view of the ED action, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it. None of us in the opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves.”
BJP state president K Annamalai, however, rejected claims of political vendetta and said, “There is no need for BJP to take revenge on anyone. It is a watertight case. The ED has been discharging duties independently based on evidence. Action would have been taken even if Balaji had not switched parties.”
The DMK and its allies, meanwhile, have planned a public meeting in Coimbatore on Friday to protest BJP’s “anti-people, anti-democratic, vendetta politics”.
“BJP’s vendetta politics has reached Tamil Nadu too. BJP is aware that this is a state where they would be chased away. They could never win an election here. They cannot even get the deposit back if they contest elections alone. Hence, they have adopted cheap tactics here,” a joint statement issued by the DMK and its allies said.
The DMK’s main rival AIADMK called the development a “disgrace to Tamil Nadu” and sought Balaji’s resignation on moral grounds.
At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said the action against the state minister was based on evidence and observations of the Supreme Court. “As opposition leader, Stalin had gone after Balaji and made serious allegations of corruption against him but compromised when he came to power and the accused joined the DMK,” Islam said. “Stalin then dropped all the charges.”
Citing PM Modi’s comments, Islam said while BJP was working to safeguard people’s future, state governments run by parties like TMC, Congress, RJD, DMK had rate cards for jobs.
Taking a critical view of the ED action, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it. None of us in the opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves.”
BJP state president K Annamalai, however, rejected claims of political vendetta and said, “There is no need for BJP to take revenge on anyone. It is a watertight case. The ED has been discharging duties independently based on evidence. Action would have been taken even if Balaji had not switched parties.”
The DMK and its allies, meanwhile, have planned a public meeting in Coimbatore on Friday to protest BJP’s “anti-people, anti-democratic, vendetta politics”.
“BJP’s vendetta politics has reached Tamil Nadu too. BJP is aware that this is a state where they would be chased away. They could never win an election here. They cannot even get the deposit back if they contest elections alone. Hence, they have adopted cheap tactics here,” a joint statement issued by the DMK and its allies said.
The DMK’s main rival AIADMK called the development a “disgrace to Tamil Nadu” and sought Balaji’s resignation on moral grounds.
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