Attack on Income Tax officials
CHENNAI: Leaders of opposition parties came out swinging at the DMK government on Friday after a group of men and women allegedly attacked the Income Tax officials, who were raiding the properties of people close to Minister for Electricity, Excise and Prohibition V Senthilbalaji in Karur.
Senior leader and former minister D Jayakumar said the officials of I-T department has been discharging their duty. But, they are not allowed to function and it amounts to "constitutional breakdown".
"The Governor should intervene in this issue. The officials should be given security cover by the Central Reserve Protection Force to carry out the raids and the Governor should take necessary measures to ensure the IT officials' safety," said Jayakumar.
Heckling the I-T officials and damaging their vehicles is nothing but poking beehives, the former minister said and added that the DMK functionaries would face the consequence.
He also took dig at Superintendent of Karur E Sundaravathanam for failing to provide security to the IT officials and demanded suitable legal action against the SP and minister's brother V Ashok.
"Today's raid is the beginning," said Jayakumar and continued that the Union government and its agencies have begun their hunt against the ministers of the present government.
Ousted AIADMK leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam took to social media to register his strong protest against the alleged attack on the IT officials. "It is shocking to know that the I-T officials and their vehicles came under attack and they took refuge in the SP office. It is shameful that the government officials are unsafe (in the present regime)," said OPS and noted that the incident unfolded in Karur is like dishing out happenings from reel into reality.
Joining the issue, BJP state president K Annamalai took to social media to condemn the alleged attack against the officials. "I-T officials manhandled, vehicles vandalised by DMK goons in support of cash for job scam minister Senthilbalaji and his brother," he tweeted and attached the short video of a woman official heckled by a group of women.
He continued that Chief Minister M K Stalin should instruct his partymen to behave responsibly and remind them that they don't live in the 60s.
