Rama Mohana Rao, who was removed as Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu after raids by the Income Tax department, addressed reporters at his residence in Chennai. Rao said he was being targeted and his life was in danger.
Rao started his press meet thanking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Mamata had 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.
He also thanked Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and AIADMK leaders who spoke in his support.
Rao, who sounded combative said, “CRPF was inside this room. They entered my house - only my daughter and her daughter and my wife were inside at 5:30am. They showed me a search warrant and my name was not there on the warrant. What did they find? They found Rs 1,12,320 in my house and they found 40-50 sovereigns of gold.”
He insisted that he was still the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu and that the transfer orders had not been served to him. “I am the Chief Secretary appointed by Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, I am still the Chief Secretary of TN.”
“I was under house arrest - the Chief Secretary, a constitutional authority. This was a constitutional assault on the office of CS,” he said.
He asked if the IT department or CRPF would have had the guts to enter his office in the Secretariat if Jayalalithaa had been alive. “A Chief Secretary’s office stores secrets of a Chief Minister. They had the name of my son in the search warrant, how can they search CS office?”
“Where is the state government? What right did the central government have to enter my office? I am not a coward. I was trained by madam. If this is the condition of a Chief Secretary after her death, then imagine what happens to AIADMK workers,” he said.
He went on to say that IT officials foud his club membership and bills and some loose sheets of papers at the Chief Secretary's chambers.
Rao asked why he was not transferred out by the Chief Minister, it could have been done in a matter of two minutes. “I have been working hard; you have seen how we managed after the cyclone.”
“They entered my house at gun point. What did I do to warrant that,” he asked. He also said he feared his life is in danger.
Rejecting reports about his association with businessman Shekhar Reddy, who was recently arrested by IT department, “I have lots of friends”.
He also denied that his son Vivek had got any government contracts. He stated, "I may be a big hurdle to many who think I may be a harcore man, who abides by Jayalalithaa." and added that he would go to the "people's court".
He concluded the press conference stating, "My life is in danger, I will continue to be serving the people."
He went on to say that IT officials foud his club membership and bills and some loose sheets of papers at the Chief Secretary's chambers.