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Ponmudy is taken by the ED for investigation after searching his premises. (File: PTI)
The Knesset member spoke about TNT to Stalin to his cabinet colleague and assured him of the ruling party’s full support in the face of BJP’s “political vendetta”.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy and his son appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here on Tuesday for the second day of investigation into a money laundering case linked to illegal sand mining.
The central agency, which began searches at the residence of DMK leader and his son MP Gautham Sigamani for nearly 10 hours on July 17, conducted an investigation in its office here late Monday night.
Both had left the ED’s office in the early hours of Tuesday even when they were called back to appear later in the day. After almost all night questioning by ED officials, both Ponmudy and Gautham Sigamani were allowed to go home around 3.30 this morning.
DMK Chairman and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin spoke to his fellow cabinet member and assured him of the ruling party’s full support in the face of BJP’s “political vendetta”.
Stalin, the ruling DMK chairman, spoke to Ponmudy on the phone and sought details about the ED investigation, an official statement reads here. He asked Ponmudy to confront her bravely and legally. He added, “The prime minister told Ponmudi that the party (DMK) will support him morally, politically and legally to oppose and break the political vendetta of the BJP government” union.
Stalin is in Bengaluru to attend a meeting of opposition parties. Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that the minister was “doing well” and that the latter was not “afraid, because he has nothing to hide”.
Elangovan accused the BJP government in the center of using ED to “harass” DMK. Earlier, another party spokesperson and advocate A Saravanan claimed that the minister cooperated well with the central agency and questioned the need to put a 72-year-old man through a night ordeal just to get a permit.
Nothing would have happened if the ED officials had asked him to come in the morning to get the statement.” The raids took place at Ponmudi and his son’s residence in the state capital and at the minister’s stronghold at Villupuram. The ruling DMK called the action a “political vendetta”.
The emergency teams were escorted by armed members of the Central Reserve Police Force and confiscated some documents.
The minister is an MLA from the Tirukkoyilur assembly seat in Villupuram district while his 49-year-old son Sigamani is a Member of Parliament representing the Kallakurichi seat.
Saravanan told reporters here and asked if the central agency had issued any press release regarding the forfeiture or not.
What is the logic of investigating a case 13 years after it was registered? He added that this is nothing but a political vendetta by the BJP government because Ponmudi took office of Governor RN Ravi on the new education policy, appointment of vice-chancellors and other major issues.
Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president Narayanan Tirupati claimed that his fellow minister Senthil Balaji was not arrested, because Ponmudi had cooperated.
(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
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