The BJP and the Central government reacted to the former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, P. Rama Mohana Rao’s press statements on Tuesday.
In the statement, he alleged that the Income Tax raids against him were a “constitutional assault on the office of the Chief Secretary” and accused the Central agencies of placing him under house arrest by deploying the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at his residence.
BJP general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao, party in-charge of Tamil Nadu, minced no words.“P. Rama Mohana Rao should not try to make his issue the issue of the entire people of Tamil Nadu. Instead he should speak the truth alone,” he said.
“By questioning the Constitution, which empowered him with the position of Chief Secretary, P. Rama Mohana Rao is only questioning what he is. He should explain what he has done and what he has not. Instead of rhetoric, he should fight the case in the court of law. Statements by him [Mr. Rao] sound more political than that of a bureaucrat. He is only levelling charges instead of stating the truth,” said Mr. Muralidhar Rao.
Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal decrying the statements by Mr. Rama Mohana Rao, said: “Everyone is equal before the law, whoever does wrong will be punished. He should think like a common citizen of this country. Had a common citizen done this, would he not have faced this.”
The political situation in in the State after the death of the former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, is being watched very closely by the Centre and the BJP, which sees a breach of the traditional domination of Dravidian politics and a contest between the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
The raids on Mr. Rao's premises are being seen as part of the same continuum.
