ED searches only an expression of BJP govt.’s annoyance at Opposition meet; to divert attention: T.N. CM Stalin

DMK Chief Stalin charges ED searches of TN Minister's premises as BJP's annoyance over Opposition unity meet; Stalin asserts Minister will face case legally & DMK won't back down from Karunanidhi's stand on Cauvery issue.

Searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the premises of Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy was merely an “expression of BJP government’s annoyance” over the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna and Bengaluru, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said in Chennai on Monday.

Mr. Stalin further charged that the ED searches were only an attempt to divert attention from the two-day meeting of 24 political parties which were coming together in Bengaluru with the sole objective of dislodging the BJP from the Union government.

Before he left for Bengaluru to take part in opposition unity meet scheduled on July 17 and July 18, Mr. Stalin charged that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has “commenced the election campaign” and the ED too has joined the same. “They both would only make it easy for us [DMK alliance],” Mr. Stalin said.

The DMK would not be worried even an iota over the ED searches at Mr. Ponmudy’s premises, Mr. Stalin maintained and further said the Minister would face the case legally. He alleged the case was “falsely foisted” against Mr. Ponmudy during the erstwhile AIADMK regime under then CM Jayalalithaa.

Mr. Stalin further questioned the reported silence on the case all these years during the AIADMK government only to be taken up now, when the Opposition parties were coming together to dislodge the BJP government in the Centre in the upcoming Parliamentary election. He also pointed out that Mr. Ponmudy was acquitted by a local court from two other cases recently.

Replying to a query on whether he would take up with Cauvery water issue and Mekedatu dam proposal with the Karnataka government, Mr. Stalin asserted that the DMK government would not go back even an inch from the stand taken by late DMK leader M. Karunanidhi on the issue. However, he pointed out the meeting in Bengaluru was to dislodge the BJP government and not to discuss the Cauvery issue.

Mr. Stalin later left for Bengaluru. Ministers and senior party leaders and functionaries were present in the airport.