The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) expelled MP Sasikala Pushpa on Saturday slammed the three Tamil Nadu ministers who allegedly obstructed and threatened Income Tax officials saying it is totally wrong on the ministers' part.
"It was totally wrong on the ministers' part and they should not have done it. With responsibility comes power but misusing it, is wrong! These kinds of atrocity act are not welcome by ministers," Pushpa told ANI.
Few days back, an FIR was filed against food minister R. Kamaraj, handlooms and textiles minister Udumalai Radhakrishnan and information and publicity minister Kadambur Raju on the complaint of an Income Tax official with the Chennai Police commissioner.
The complaint has been filed against them for obstructing raids at Tamil Nadu health minister Vijaya Baskar's residence.
The I-T officials last week raided several premises belonging to Vijaya Baskar and his relatives in Chennai and other districts in the wake of complaints that he was involved in cash distribution to voters in R.K. Nagar constituency where a by-election was to be held on April 12.
However, Baskar, in his defence, said that the raid was politically motivated.
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The I-T department also conducted searches on the premises of actor and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi leader R. Sarathkumar, former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislator Chitlapakkam Rajendran and vice-chancellor of Dr. MGR Medical University S. Geethalakshmi.
By-polls in Chennai's R.K. Nagar constituency, which was earlier represented by late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, were cancelled by the Election Commission after cash-for-votes allegations surfaced.
The decision came after Income Tax raids in Chennai found money was distributed to voters.
The Income Tax officials had alleged that the Sasikala faction of the AIADMK paid Rs. 89 crore to voters to buy support for its candidate TTV Dinakaran, who is also Sasikala's nephew.
As evidence, the department had cited documents seized during raids on Friday in more than 35 places - including Vijaya Baskar's property.