Modi govt is disturbing federal structure: Mamata blasts centre for I-T raid on TN Chief Secy

The West Bengal CM said that the raids devalued the institution of the head of the state’s civil service.
Modi govt is disturbing federal structure: Mamata blasts centre for I-T raid on TN Chief Secy
Modi govt is disturbing federal structure: Mamata blasts centre for I-T raid on TN Chief Secy
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Hours after the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao was raided by officials of the Income Tax Department, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has suggested that the I-T raids were an act of the current Modi government to “disturb the federal structure”.

She said that “corruption needs to be condemned strongly”, but asserted that the raids on the TN Chief Secretary devalued the institution of the head of the civil service in the state.

Banerjee suggested that the raid should only have been conducted after the state leadership was taken into confidence, and that Rao could have been removed from his position as a preemptive measure.

In one of the tweets posted on Wednesday morning, the TMC supremo said that, in a very similar vein, the Principal Secretary of the Delhi government had also been “raided and harassed” earlier.

She also asked, “Why don't they raid Amit Shah and others who are collecting money?”

The TMC has been at loggerheads with the centre and has played a prominent role in the agitation carried out by a united opposition against demonetisation.

The WB CM also held a joint rally at the national capital with her Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, on the issue, which was attended by top leaders of parties opposed to the central government.

The raid on the Anna Nagar residence of the TN Chief Secretary, which kicked off at 5.30am, was reportedly accompanied by raids on 13 other places belonging to him, his son and other relatives in Chennai, Bengaluru and Chittoor.

Speaking to reporters in Madurai, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the raid was “not an act of vengeance”, and asserted that I-T raids could be conducted at any time based on a source of information.

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