AIADMK flays Centre for I-T raids on former CS office
As per the practice in vogue, the IT department should have sought and obtained the permission of the state government, S.R. Balasubramoniyan said.
Chennai: The AIADMK lashed out at the Centre for initiating I-T searches in the office of the former Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao (in state secretariat) and charged the IT department with making detour from the convention of informing the state authorities before raiding the state secretariat and in the process created an impression that the entire state is untrustworthy.
Taking strong exception to the “manner of conducting raids at the former Chief Secretary's office and residence, AIADMK's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha and former Union Minister S.R. Balasubramoniyan said there has been no information on whether the IT officials had sought permission. “Had they gone without seeking permission then this is a bad precedence in democratic form of governance,” he said.
Alleging that the CBI had no rights to directly monitor the functioning of the state officials and take action on them as the subject is in the purview of the State government, he said if the CBI comes to know about the violations of the State employees then it could convey the information to state authorities concerned.
“It would have been understandable had the I-T department conducted the searches at Rama Mohana Rao's office or residence after obtained the assistance of the state police and other departments. But taking the para military forces alone with them, gives an impression that they have construed the entire state as untrustworthy. This is a blunder which should not have been set as precedence,” he said.
As per the practice in vogue, the IT department should have sought and obtained the permission of the state government, he said and also took strong exception to controversy of some vice chancellors visiting the Poes Garden to convey their condolences.
“This is needlessly being made an issue. Whom should one inform and proceed to convey their condolences. Had not the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Ministers and Malaysian Minister visited Chennai and conveyed their condolences to Chinnamma (Sasikala) who stood by former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa through thick and thin?” he asked and warned the “DMK not to poke its nose in the internal affairs of the AIADMK or give free advice.”