The Election Commission of India was acting subservient to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is leading the government at the Centre, alleged K.S. Alagiri, president, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, here on Thursday.
Addressing a meeting in support of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance’s candidate for Madurai constituency Su. Venkatesan, he said DMK leader Durai Murugan’s house was raided by the Income Tax department only to diminish the chances of victory of his son Kathir Anand contesting from Vellore constituency. “They did not find anything in his house. They are trying to frame him for the cash seized elsewhere,” he said.
He questioned why election officials were not raiding the houses of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. “During the election campaign of OPS’ (Mr. Panneerselvam) son in Theni constituency, ₹ 500 notes are distributed openly to voters. Election officials are not stopping it,” he alleged.
He said that the upcoming parliamentary elections was not just an election to choose a Prime Minister, but a battle between two different ideologies. Stating that there were different parties in the Secular Progressive Alliance, he said the aim, however, was single, which was to save the country from Hindutva forces.
Highlighting that Mahatma Gandhi, who was a practising Hindu, wanted India to be a secular country, he said that the BJP, in the name of Hindu religion, was, however, destroying the harmony of the country by polarising it along religious lines.
Mr. Alagiri, along with leaders from the alliance partners, including those from the CPI (M) to which Mr. Venkatesan belongs, campaigned for votes in and around Munichalai junction.