Mallikarjun Kharge condemns ED raids against DMK Minister Ponmudy

CHENNAI: All India Congress Committee (AICC) president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday condemned the raids carried out by the ED at the premises of minister K Ponmudy and said that the like-minded Opposition is united against the Modi regime’s vendetta politics.

Taking to twitter, the Congress leader wrote, "We condemn the ED raids against Tamil Nadu Education Minister, Dr. K. Ponmudy, just before our crucial opposition meeting. This has become Modi Govt's predictable script in order to intimidate and divide the opposition. Surprisingly, BJP has suddenly woken up to the need of putting together an alliance of ideologically opposed parties. All like-minded parties are united against the vendetta politics of the Modi Govt and shall not be bogged down by these cowardly tactics to trample upon Democracy. [sic]"

Also Read:ED raids TN Minister Ponmudy, his MP son in money laundering case

Remarking that this has become Modi govt’s predictable script in order to intimidate and divide the opposition, Kharge said, “Surprisingly, BJP has suddenly woken up to the need of putting together an alliance of ideologically opposed parties. All like-minded parties are united against the vendetta politics of the Modi govt and shall not be bogged down by these cowardly tactics to trample upon democracy.”

Earlier today, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the premises of DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his MP son Gautham Sigamani in a money laundering case, official sources said. Escorted by armed personnel of the CRPF, the officials of the federal probe agency searched the premises under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The raids are being undertaken at the premises of the father-son duo in Chennai and Ponmudy's stronghold of Villupuram, they said.

The 72-year-old minister is an MLA from the Tirukkoyilur assembly seat in Villupuram district while his 49-year-old son Sigamani is a Member of Parliament representing the Kallakurichi seat. The money laundering case stems from a state police FIR and charge sheet that alleged irregularities during Ponmudy's tenure as the state mining and minerals minister in the previous DMK government (between 2007 and 2011). There are allegations of violation of quarry licence conditions leading to "loss" of more than Rs 28 crore to the exchequer.

Also Read:DMK is not a party afraid of being probed: KS Alagiri

The ED had recently initiated a similar action against another minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister M K Stalin after it arrested Transport Minister Senthil Balaji in an alleged cash-for-jobs linked money laundering case. Stalin and the DMK have slammed the action against Balaji as "intimidation politics" by the Centre.

(With inputs from Bureau)