Secrecy is basic requisite of raid: BJP spokesman

Chennai: “It's an absurd statement”, said BJP state secretary K. T. Raghavan, reacting to the allegations made by AIADMK spokesperson Mr S.R. Balasubramanian, that the Income-Tax raids on former chief secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao were improper as the IT officials had not given prior intimation to the state government. “Giving prior intimation to the state government that their chief secretary was going to be raided would only mean alerting a suspect of an impending action against him. Secrecy is the basic requisite of a raid”, Mr Raghavan told DC.

“He must read the IT Act and related rules before making such baseless charges. The IT Act authorises such raids and also the use of para-military forces. It is pathetic that someone who had as MoS (personnel) handled subjects that included the CBI to make such allegations”, said Mr Raghavan, adding, “None in his right senses would question the sound logic in the IT team taking para-military for protection during the raid, instead of calling the state police as recommended by SRB. How effective would the state police have been in an operation against their big boss?”

“Besides, why this statement from SRB after a gap of five days? Why are the AIADMK leaders agitated when a bureaucrat is raided? Would they have objected if a police constable or any other government servant was raided?” wondered Mr Raghavan.

He said, “We all know that TN leads in all the states of India as being the most corrupt; so these raids and related action by the Central agencies are being wholeheartedly welcomed by the common man and by all the right-thinking people who want to see a corruption-free administration in Tamil Nadu. All this anger, opposition and criticism against the raids and such other legitimate actions of the IT department and other Central agencies, is coming only from the corrupt people”.