Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai. (File photo/ANI)
Following the arrest, chief minister Stalin asserted that DMK cannot be frightened by BJP’s intimidation tactics and added that the party will deal with state minister Senthil Balaji’s arrest legally
A war of words has broken out between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led government and the Opposition over the arrest of Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s arrest on Wednesday. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai attacked Chief Minister MK Stalin for himself speaking about Senthil’s corruption when he was transport minister in the previous AIADMK government.
Annamalai termed Stalin’s criticism of the Enforcement Directorate’s action against his cabinet minister as “nonsensical”.
“In 2016, when MK Stalin was the opposition leader, he went to Senthil Balaji’s house and also said that Balaji is a corrupt person in this case. In 2018, after S Balaji joined DMK, CM is saying that he is innocent. In 2016, when I-T Dept raided TN Chief Secy’s office, MK Stalin welcomed it. Now, CM says ED entering Secretariat is an affront on federalism is nonsensical,” the BJP leader told news agency YEARS.
Taking to Twitter, Annamalai also posted an old video of Stalin attacking Senthil for the ‘Cash for job scam’ and asked the chief minister if he will refute what he said about Senthil Balaji a few years ago.
“A gentle reminder to Thiru @mkstalin on what he spoke a few years back about the CashForJobScam tainted Thiru Senthil Balaji. Are you going to refute this, Thiru @mkstalin? Why are you playing victim card today?” Annamalai tweeted.
Notably, the state minister of electricity was arrested early this morning after an 18-hour-long interrogation.
Following the arrest, chief minister Stalin asserted that DMK cannot be frightened by BJP’s intimidation tactics and added that the party will deal with state minister Senthil Balaji’s arrest legally.
Accusing the ED officials of behaving in an “inhuman” manner, the chief minister said that despite Senthi Balaji’s willingness to cooperate, he was subjected to questioning through the night.
In a statement this morning, he said that the people of the state were watching the developments and would give a fitting reply to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
While the ED has not brought out any official statement regarding the arrest, it is learnt that the minister was arrested in a case related to a job-for-cash scam when he was minister in the late Jayalalithaa government.
Senthil Balaji later switched over to the DMK.