The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted raids at the residence of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji as part of a money laundering investigation in Chennai, Karur and other places.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) has also been deployed at the Minister's residence.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin lashed out at the ruling BJP at the Centre over the raids and charged charging it with "backdoor intimidation" of political rivals. "Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemns searches by Enforcement Directorate officials at state minister V Senthil Balaji's chamber in the Secretariat. BJP leadership is enacting 'politics of intimidation'. BJP's bid to intimidate through backdoor tactics like ED raids won't work," CMO in a statement said.
Stalin particularly took strong objection to the ED officials conducting searches at the office room of Balaji at the State Secretariat, saying it was a "blot on federalism."
With Balaji promising full cooperation to the investigating agency, "it is not known what was the need for holding searches at the minister's room in the Secretariat." Stalin added.
The development comes two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Tamil Nadu, he added.
