DMK condemns tax raids at MK Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai’s residence ahead of TN elections

DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister MK Stalin (File image: Twitter/@arivalayam)

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has condemned the Central government for searches that were conducted by income tax officials at the residence of party chief MK Stalin's daughter Senthamarai Chennai home "with a political objective".

Pointing out how the tax raids were conducted just ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2021, DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan said the move was politically motivated.

He said on April 2, “when parties were on the verge of completing the campaign and looked forward to the day of polling, the income tax searches in the residence of Senthamarai were conducted”.

He added that the Centre was wrong in thinking that conducting tax raids just ahead of the elections would break the morale of the party or weaken its poll preparations, as the “DMK is not a party that can be scared by such searches”.

Duraimurugan claimed that the party has been harassed in a similar fashion in the past too and that tax searches were also held in the premises linked to party leader AV Velu. However, such tactics are “undemocratic”, he said, adding that he “condemns” this.

When asked about tax searches that were conducted in the premises of party leaders belonging to the ruling AIADMK party, which is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the DMK leader said that tax raids on DMK leaders were aimed at intimidating them and tax raids on others were only an “eye-wash”.