Gentle Reminder: Annamalai Posts Old Video Of Stalin Criticising Senthil Balaji's Corruption

Amid the political slugfest over Tamil Nadu Minister's arrest, BJP leader K Annamalai posted an old video of DMK Chief and MK Stalin speaking about Senthil Balaji's corruption when he was transport minister in the previous AIADMK government.

Annamalai dubbed Stalin's criticism of the Enforcement Directorate's action against his cabinet minister as nonsensical.

"A gentle reminder to Stalin on what he spoke a few years back about the cash-for-job scam-tainted Senthil Balaji. Are you going to refute this, Stalin? Why are you playing the victim card today?," tweeted Annamalai.

"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 ANI.

"The day ED arrests Senthil Balaji, he has to be removed from the post of minister. A month ago, we submitted a memorandum to the Governor that Balaji should be removed from the minister's post. It is the CM's ego that is keeping him, despite the Supreme Court's direction to TN police to file a chargesheet against Senthil Balaji. Not removing him from the minister's post is an affront to the principle of natural justice," he added.

Stepping up his attack on BJP, Stalin charged the ED officials of enacting a drama in the name of enquiry and accused them of "physically and mentally troubling" Balaji.

"They had pressured him to the point of him suffering a chest pain," Stalin alleged in a statement, hours after the ED arrested Balaji in a money laundering probe following raids at his premises and hours-long questioning since Tuesday. ED officials had done so till 2 am before taking Balaji to a hospital and he is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) right now, the Chief Minister added.

He questioned the need for such a long probe even after Balaji assured full cooperation to the probe and asked: "if such an inhumane action by the ED officials is warranted". "The cruel intentions of those that had deployed the officials is evident from this," Stalin charged.

He reiterated his stringent criticism of the BJP, saying it was using such investigating agencies against its political rivals. "That is the only way they know." "Whatever the case is, Senthil Balaji will face it legally. We will firmly continue with our political stand. The DMK will face the case legally with resolve," the Chief Minister said. "DMK will not be cowed down by BJP's intimidation. People are watching such oppression and will give a befitting reply in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," he added.