Chennai: DMK President and Chief Ministerial candidate M.K. Stalin on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “colluding” with officials to conduct raids on DMK functionaries after Income Tax searched premises of his daughter Senthamarai, and asserting that his party cannot be intimated by such threats.
Addressing a poll programme at Jayankondam in Ariyalur, Stalin said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Madurai yesterday night. He conducted meetings with IT officials to conduct a raid on the premises of DMK functionaries.”
He said that 30 IT officials had conducted raids at his daughter’s residence and 100 policemen were deployed outside.
“We are DMK and we cannot be intimidated by the Income Tax or CBI raids and we don’t fear that. I was arrested under MISA and I cannot be cowed down by these raids,” he said.
Noting that such raids were conducted at the premises of AIADMK leaders earlier, he said: “AIADMK is now controlled by the Central government using the central agencies. This is DMK and we won’t budge an inch by such threats.”
He said that with only 3 days remaining for elections, the Income Tax raids were aimed at to confine DMK leaders and workers at their homes.
“This won’t work for DMK cadre… this is a different party and the people of Tamil Nadu will give their answers to this on April 6, the election day.”
The DMK leader lashed out against the AIADMK government over the 10.5 per cent reservation under Most Backward Class for Vanniyar community, saying: “It was the DMK that gave reservation to the Most Backward Communities including the Vanniyars. It was DMK that categorised Kongu Vellala Gounder as a backward class community and provided reservation to them.”
Stalin said that Dalit Christians, Muslims and Arundathiyars were provided reservation by late M. Karunanidhi when he was Chief Minister. “I will tread the path followed by my father Kalaignar Karunanidhi once we come to power,” he said.
Jayakondam is a Vanniyar-dominated community and the AIADMK-PMK-BJP alliance is pitching the 10.5 per cent reservation for them under the Most Backward Communities.
