CBI raids Stalin residence, then stops
Chennai/New Delhi, Mar 21 : Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids were conducted in Chennai in the residence of DMK leader MK Stalin in a case of alleged import of cars costing Rs 20 crore, but later the team that went to the premises of Stalin called off the raids following reported political intervention.
The raids came only two days after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) walked out of the Congress-led coalition government at the centre over its alleged "soft stance" against Sri Lanka on the issue of atrocities on Lankan Tamils.
The raids are on the basis of a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) complaint on the allegedly illegal import of cars.
However, the raids were soon stopped after union ministers P Chidambaram and Kamal Nath intervened and said they disapproved of the CBI move, said media reports.
Reports said Congress chief and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi herself disapproved of the raids and asked for the reason to concerned minister V Narayanasamy.
Stalin, son of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, called the raids as political vendetta. Karunanidhi himself said the raids may or may not be vendetta and it could have been conspired at the state level too, hinting at his political rival AIADMK and its chief J Jayalalithaa, who is presently the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
"I am being targeted. We will face the case legally. I am unaware of the reasons for the CBI raid," Stalin said.
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the raids are revenge of Congress whom they have shunned at the centre.
However, there has been strong political reaction to the raids.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the timing of the raids since DMK has just walked out of the UPA alliance over the Sri Lanka issue. They called it politically motivated move.
Samajwadi Party, which is now supporting the UPA, also called the raids motivated and warned the Congress party.