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Income tax raids at DMK leader’s premises in Chennai
EV Velu, a five-time lawmaker, and former minister, is in-charge of DMK’s poll preparations and expenditures. The places raided included Arunai Engineering College in Tiruvannamalai, which Velu founded in 1993
The Income Tax department on Thursday conducted searches at opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate EV Velu’s premises in Tiruvannamalai and Chennai days before the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu on April 6, said an official on condition of anonymity.
“Total 15 premises were raided,” the official said.
Velu, a five-time lawmaker, and former minister, is in-charge of DMK’s poll preparations and expenditures. The places raided included Arunai Engineering College in Tiruvannamalai, which Velu founded in 1993.
A guest house, where DMK leader Stalin stayed on Wednesday before leaving for a rally in Tiruvannamalai rally, was also searched.
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DMK condemned the raids as being politically motivated. “Conducting searches in the room where the DMK chief stayed in the guest house is inappropriate and undemocratic. Nothing has been seized,” said DMK leader Durai Murugan.” Our party cadre will be more enthused to work now. This would not stop our victory.”
Murugan accused the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of being behind the raids.
The Election Commission cancelled the Vellore Lok Sabha election in 2019 after over ₹10 crore cash was found at a warehouse. ₹137 crore unaccounted cash was seized from across the state ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly by-polls. Similarly, in 2017, by-polls to the RK Nagar assembly seat were cancelled twice on bribery charges.
