Income Tax department searches premises of MK Stalin's son-in-law Sabareesan
The Income Tax department on Friday led raids at at least four premises of Sabareesan, the son-in-law of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin. Besides his residence, several other places connected to him are being searched by the I-T sleuths. One of the places being raided is a house in Neelangarai, Chennai, where Stalin's daughter Senthamarai lives with Sabareesan. Here are more details.
Tax department sources told NDTV that there had been inputs on the movement of cash related to the election campaign. The searches had started at around 8 am on Friday. I-T raids were also conducted at locations linked to the associates of Sabareesan, Karthik, and Bala. Karthik is the son of Mohan, the Annanagar candidate for the DMK in the upcoming state polls.
The DMK has complained to the Election Commission, calling the raids an "abuse of power." Stalin also said at a Perambalur rally, "The Modi government is saving the AIADMK government now...I'm the son of Kalaignar (late-DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi). I'll not be scared like this."
Notably, Sabareesan is a powerful face in Stalin's camp. He is known for mobilizing resources to hold talks and negotiations with friends as well as opponents. Although Sabareesan maintains a low profile, he is also considered to be a key strategist for the DMK. He has also been a close adviser to Stalin over the past few years.
DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan said the raids were politically motivated adding, "Our party won't be frightened by these silly acts. This is not democracy." Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MP Thol Thirumavalvan said the raids are an act of "revenge." People will teach the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a lesson in the upcoming polls, he said. Meanwhile, DMK supporters gathered at Sabareesan's residence to project strength.
This is the second I-T raid associated with the DMK in a month. On March 25, the I-T department had raided multiple premises of DMK candidate EV Velu in Tiruvannamalai and Chennai. The officers searched EV Velu's house, guest house, and the premises of the colleges he owns. Velu is seeking re-election from the Tiruvannamalai Assembly constituency in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing public meetings in Kanyakumari and Madurai. On Thursday, the PM had visited the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple in Madurai. The election for the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held in a single phase on April 6. This is the first Assembly election in TN after the demise of political bigwigs Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi.
