In the backdrop of the CBI raiding close associates of former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, the Congress today dismissed suggestions of souring of ties with its key ally.
“There is going to be no difference in the Congress-DMK relations because of the CBI (raids),” AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters.
The Union Health Minister, who is also in-charge of party affairs in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, said the relations between the Congress and the DMK leadership are very cordial.
“We will continue with our relations as such... there will be no souring in the relationship,” he said.
Asked how Congress views the meeting of senior leaders of DMK being called by party chief M Karunanidhi, Mr. Azad said it has nothing to say on it.
Another party general secretary Digivijay Singh saw “no threat” to the UPA government over this episode.
In Chennai, Ms. Kanimozhi, daughter of Mr. Karunanidhi. also said that ties with the Congress would not come under strain on the issue.
“No strains at all... I am sure together we will prove that nothing wrong is going on,” she said replying to a question whether the developments had affected ties with the Congress.
“The law has to take its own course. It is a process to prove us not guilty. Definitely we will come out clean,” Ms. Kanimozhi said.
In a crackdown yesterday as part of the 2G spectrum scam probe, the CBI searched 34 offices and residences of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, former TRAI Chairman Pradip Baijal, siblings of Raja and an NGO linked to Ms. Kanimozhi and claimed to have recovered several incriminating documents.
The premises of Kamaraj, associate editor of Tamil magazine ‘Nakkeeran’ in Chennai, Mr. Raja’s brother and sister near Tiruchirappalli and Tamil Maiyam, an NGO in which Kanimozhi, is on the Board of Directors were among those searched.
The investigating agency also swooped down on the premises of Mr. Raja’s auditor Subramanyam and also auditor of Ms. Kanimozhi’s mother.
