JAKARTA - A minister from a ruling party in Tamil Nadu, southern India, burst into tears after being arrested by the federal financial fraud agency on charges of money laundering.
V Senthil Balaji, a politician from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party in the coastal state, was interrogated for 18 hours by the Directorate of Law Enforcement on Tuesday for alleged involvement in a fraud case.
The agency also conducted a search at the minister's residence located in Chennai and lasted more than 24 hours.
He was detained in the early hours of Wednesday after a series of interrogations. Moments later, he complained of pain in his chest and was taken to the hospital.
Arriving at the hospital, Senthil Balaji cried as his supporters gathered outside and shouted slogans against the federal agency.
Meanwhile, party leader and MK state chief minister Stalin accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by PM Narendra Modi of targeting the party, condemning the government for the search conducted on Balaji.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji breaks down as ED officials took him into custody in connection with a money laundering case and brought him to Omandurar Government in Chennai for medical examination pic.twitter.com/aATSM9DQpu
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2023
#WATCH Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji breaks down as ED officials take him into custody with a money launching case and brought him to Omandur Government in Chennai for medical expansion pic.twitter.com/aATSM9DQpu
"The search carried out at the honorable ministerial secretariat office, Senthil Balaji, was a direct attack on federal principles," Stalin tweeted.
"BJP's backdoor tactics against its political opponents will not provide the desired results. BJP will soon study them in a difficult way. The silence of people who witnessed BJP's cheap revenge political action should not be underestimated," he stressed.
Meanwhile, the President of the Mallikarjun Kharge Congress condemned the midnight arrest.
"This is nothing but political harassment and revenge by the Modi Government against those against it. None of us on the opposition side will be intimidated by such impudent acts," he said.
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It is known that Indian national and regional opposition parties have long accused PM Modi's government of using federal agencies as weapons to target rival politicians.
About fourteen political parties had been in contact with the Supreme Court in March to oppose "arbitrary use" of agencies such as the Directorate of Law Enforcement and the Central Bureau of Investigation, to capture and begin criminal proceedings against opposition leaders expressing dissent or disagreement with PM Modi's government.
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