• By Sahelee Rakshit
  • Mon, 17 Jul 2023 10:58 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at the residences linked to Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader K Ponmudi in connection with a money extortion case. According to officials, the premises of Ponmudi's son Gautam Sigamani, a Lok Sabha MP, were also searched. The ED searched Ponmudi's homes in Chennai and Viluppuram, according to local police.

Meanwhile, Stalin has dubbed the ED's case against Ponmudy "false," claiming that it was "foisted" on him under the late J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK leadership. He described the ED action as "usual, ordinary, and a drama" intended to divert attention, adding that the DMK was "not concerned in the least."

“Governor R N Ravi is already conducting a poll campaign for us and now, the ED has joined (the poll scene) and I feel the election work for us will be easy,” Stalin was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Earlier in June, hours after minister V Senthil Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Tamil Nadu minister Ponmudi called it a "revengeful act" and said the Centre was wrong to target states with non-BJP governments.

Reacting to the raid, Stalin issued a stern statement. "Go through history to know about the kind of protests organised by the DMK. Just ask senior leaders in Delhi about us. I am not issuing a threat. This is a warning," he said in a video message.

After an 18-hour search, the probe agency detained Balaji in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam in the state's transport department.

Meanwhile, the probe agency's action landed the ruling party DMK into fresh troubles, as two ministers in the MK Stalin-led government are now facing money laundering probes.

The raids on Minister Ponmudi are likely to aggravate tensions between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government.

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