I-T dept raids MK Stalin's son-in-law's, DMK leader Senthil Balaji's premises

Last month, DMK candidate from EV Velu's premises were searched in Tiruvannamalai and Chennai.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan's residence and office were raided by the Income Tax department on Friday. Several other places connected to him are also being searched, news agency ANI reported.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin during an election campaign rally ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly polls in Coimbatore district, (PTI)

Hours later, DMK leader Senthil Balaji's premises were also raided by the agency.

With this, the number of such raids on those associated with the DMK ahead of the April 6 Tamil Nadu Assembly election went up to three. Last month, DMK candidate EV Velu's premises were searched in Tiruvannamalai and Chennai.

Along with Arunai Engineering College in Tiruvannamalai, which Velu founded in 1993, a guest house where Stalin stayed for some time, was also raided.

The Opposition party dubbed these raids '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.

According to DMK spokesperson C Ravindran, use of power to threaten the Opposition has been a trend of the Bharatiya Janata Party alliance. “Since the BJP government came to power, their practice has been to use government institutions during elections to threaten the opposition,” he said.