Mamata Banerjee: Narendra Modi trying to threaten Opp parties

Mamata Banerjee

Kandi: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came out in suppport of DMK leader Kanimozhi, whose residence was searched by central agencies and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to threaten parties opposed to him. Kanimozhi is being harassed as DMK is opposed to BJP's divisive politics in south India, she said.

Charging Modi with ruling India by the "decree of fear", Banerjee said that the country has never seen such a prime minister who is feared by everyone "instead of being loved and respected". "It is a shame that BJP is using central agencies against opposition leaders and parties to harass them. Yesterday the Income Tax(department) without any reason raided Kanimozhi's house. Just because DMK and its leader M K Stalin are opposed to Narendra Modi and BJP, they (DMK leaders) are being unnecessarily harassed," Banerjee said at a rally.

Ahead of the April 18 Lok Sabha polls, election officials assisted by those from the I-T department on Tuesday held searches at the residence of DMK leader Kanimozhi in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu from where she is contesting. DMK president M K Stalin in a statement at Chennai said the raids were an outcome of "fear of a damning defeat," for BJP's candidate Tamilisai Soundararajan in Tuticorin. "For us a leader is such a person who is loved and
respected by people from various sections of the society. But for the first time since Independence, we have a leader like the prime minister who is ruling the country by a reign of fear," Banerjee said. She alleged that Modi is threatening everybody and everybody is afraid of him and added "It is a shame that a person who was baptized in politics through riots is leading the country".

Unfazed by the Income Tax (I-T) department raids at her residence, DMK leader Kanimozhi on Wednesday said that the BJP cannot prevent her from winning in the ongoing elections. She also dubbed the raids as "anti-democratic, deliberately planned and tested".

"BJP cannot prevent my success through this income tax raid. The raid is anti-democratic, deliberately planned and tested, and no documents have been seized," Kanimozhi told reporters here after completion of raids. "They want to intimidate us through this. They have come to stop elections in Thoothukudi. DMK volunteers will be working with more enthusiasm," she added.

"On Tuesday evening, I-T department conducted raids at a house in which Kanimozhi is staying on the information shared by the local administration," sources added. According to sources, Kanimozhi was present during the raids and cooperated with the team. However, "I-T dept found nothing but verification is on." The raids have been completed. Reportedly, it was alleged that "lots of cash" was stashed on the first floor of her house in Thoothukudi. This comes two days before the Tamil Nadu votes on April 18 for 39 seats. The DMK candidate from Thoothukudi Lok Sabha seat, Kanimozhi is the sister of party chief MK Stalin. Even as the house was being searched a posse of DMK supporters gathered outside and staged a demonstration raising anti-Modi slogans.

Reacting to the raids, DMK president Stalin said: "I got a message that Kanimozhi's premises is being raided. BJP candidate Tamilisai Soundarajan's premises have crores and crores of rupees are kept there. Why no raids there? Who will take action? Modi used I-T department, Central Bureau of Investigation, Judiciary and latest in the row is Election Commission of India to interfere in the electoral process." Stalin said," They are doing this because of the fear of losing."