Chennai, Sep 5 (PTI) DVAC officials conducted searches at premises linked to former DMK minister K N Nehru across Tamil Nadu on Saturday, drawing criticism from party president M K Stalin, who termed the action “politically motivated”.
Searches were underway in Tiruchirappalli, where Nehru’s residence is located, as well as at premises belonging to his brother.
A large number of Nehru’s supporters, along with former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, gathered outside his residence. Nehru made a brief appearance and appealed to them to leave for the party office.
The searches by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption were being conducted at several locations, including Chennai, and were reportedly linked to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 2,538 people during Nehru’s tenure as Municipal Administration and Water Supply minister.
Nehru currently represents the Tiruchirappalli West Assembly constituency and is the DMK’s deputy floor leader in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He is also a prominent DMK leader in central Tamil Nadu.
The DVAC had earlier registered an FIR under Section 7(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, naming Nehru, the DMK’s principal secretary, his brothers and several officials.
Strongly condemning the searches, Stalin on Saturday alleged that the state government was resorting to “purely politically motivated diversionary tactics” amid the ongoing High Court case and the Assembly session.
In a post on X, the former CM said the searches were an attempt to intimidate the opposition.
He asserted that the people of Tamil Nadu were fully aware of the actions of the current administration and accused the ruling dispensation of engaging in horse-trading to secure power, a charge already denied by the TVK government.
“The people of Tamil Nadu are well aware that, to form the government, they induced MLAs from other parties to resign and inducted them into their party right on the Assembly premises,” Stalin said, alleging that authorities had failed to even register a preliminary inquiry report on formal complaints filed in the matter.
Labelling these actions as a “dark side of Indian democracy”, the DMK president dismissed the government’s moves as routine political “gimmicks” and said neither senior leader Nehru nor the DMK would be intimidated.
“We will confront and triumph over everything as per law,” Stalin said, asserting that the party would challenge the administration’s actions legally. PTI JSP SSK
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