Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Tamil Nadu's Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji on Wednesday, the Congress termed the action as part of vendetta politics against those who oppose it. In a statement, party president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the late-night arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Balaji by the ED. He said, "This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it. None of us in the Opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves."
His remarks came after the ED on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday arrested Balaji. Earlier on Tuesday, the ED had conducted searches at the official residence of Balaji and at the office of the minister in the Secretariat. Senthil Balaji, who handles the portfolios of Prohibition & Excise apart from Electricity was arrested in a money laundering case linked to a job scam.
The money laundering case was first investigated by the Central Crime Branch of Chennai police. It has been alleged that several crores were collected as bribes from candidates seeking jobs of drivers, conductors and mechanics in the state-run Metropolitan Transport Corporation.
The Income Tax department had conducted raids at the premises of several people linked to the minister during the last week of May. The I-T officials had complained that the supporters of the minister's brother had assaulted them.