Tamil Nadu minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader EC Velu on Wednesday trained guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party over the raids that were conducted at his residence by the Income Tax department last week. The Tamil Nadu Minister of Public works, Highways and Minor Ports said that the Income Tax department was working as a team of the BJP.
"BJP cannot stop us from doing the work for the people by conducting an income tax audit. It was only because of the five-day raid by the Income Tax department that you were able to freeze the work of the corporation and the government,” said the DMK leader while speaking to reporters in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai.
“The income tax department works as a team in BJP..." he added.
The authorities conducted searches at several locations in the state linked to the state minister for alleged tax evasion-related offences on November 3. The tax department seized a total of Rs 29 crores including Rs 22 crore in cash and incriminating documents from the premises linked to him after the searches went on for around 5 days.
"Income Tax department has seized a total of Rs 29 crores, including Rs 22 crore in cash and incriminating documents, from the premises linked to Tamil Nadu Public Works and Highways Department Minister EV Velu and his Associates," reported ANI quoting sources as saying.
"The searches are still underway at the offices of two leading builders in Chennai. Search underway at Appaswamy Real Estate and Casagrand Builder Pvt Ltd, resulting in seizure of Rs 7 crore," it said on Tuesday.
In October, I-T searches were conducted in over 40 places linked to DMK MP S Jagathrakshakan in Chennai and Arakonam. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate conducted a search in places related to Minister Senthil Balaji across Tamil Nadu.