'ED has joined poll campaign,' says TN CM on raids

Hours after the Enforcement Directorate’s searches on premises linked to Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy, DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday mocked the central agency as having joined the ‘election campaign.’ The case against Ponmudy was a ‘false case’ that was foisted on him nearly 13 years ago during the late J Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK regime, Stalin told reporters here before leaving for Bengaluru to take part in the Congress-led Opposition meet. ”As regards Tamil Nadu, Governor R N Ravi is already conducting a poll campaign for us and now, the ED has joined (the poll scene) and I feel the election work for us will be easy,” Stalin said.

”The DMK is not worried a wee bit,” he said on the ED searches. Such an action by the ED was ‘usual, ordinary and a drama’ enacted to divert attention.

People were witnessing it all who would give a fitting reply in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he said.

The face-off between Governor R N Ravi and the DMK regime covers several issues including pending files and Bills and he has been accused by the ruling dispensation of acting like a BJP functionary.

Subsequent to the case filed during the AIADMK regime, the ED has been probing money laundering in this regard. In this connection, the ED has conducted searches on the premises linked to DMK leader and Higher Education Minister Ponmudy in Chennai and Villupuram.

The DMK chief said it was the AIADMK that was in power continuously for a decade in the state and they did not make any efforts in respect of this case.

Recently, Ponmudy was acquitted in another case ‘foisted’ against him during the AIADMK rule, he said, adding ‘he (Ponmudy) will face the case legally.’ The CM, answering a question said the Opposition meet (on July 17 and 18) is to dislodge the BJP-led regime at the Centre. It was not convened in connection with the Cauvery river water issue. ‘India itself is facing a threat’ and the opposition’s meeting is to save the nation, he asserted.