DMK talks of scorpion and sting as raids return to TN

Sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) today raided the houses of three former DMK ministers — K. Anbazhaga...

Sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) today raided the houses of three former DMK ministers — K. Anbazhagan, K.N. Nehru and I. Periyasamy — in the city and other parts of the state.

DVAC sources said two of Anbazhagan’s houses in the city were raided regarding ‘‘irregularities’’ in alloting seats in the Teachers’ Training Institutes in the state while the houses of Nehru and Periyasamy were being searched in connection with ‘‘wealth cases’’.

I feel for Naxals: Official

Bangalore: Dodging the barbs at him by former DGP C. Dinakar in his book Veerappan’s Prize Catch: Rajkumar, Karnataka Security Advisor T. Srinivasulu reiterated his sympathies for Naxalites on Wednesday. Srinivasalu told reporters: ‘‘I stand by what I have said. It (Naxalism) is a reflection of how a poor educated unemployed youth would feel in this country. Several factors are forcing youths to turn to Naxalism.’’ He said his views cannot be understood by people with ‘‘brains similar to rats’’, making an oblique reference to Dinakar. — ens

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Raids were conducted at 14 places belonging to Nehru in several parts of the state including two in the city while 14 places of Periyasamy were being raided in Dindigul district.

DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan, whose two houses in the city were raided by officers of DVAC, described the raids as ‘‘political vendetta’’. He alleged that it had become the practice of AIADMK government to raid the houses of senior DMK leaders on ‘‘false allegations’’.

The DVAC officials did not seize any documents. On hearing of the raids, senior DMK leaders Arcot N. Veerasamy, Duraimurugan and M.K. Stalin visited Anbazhagan’s house who was the education minister from 1996 to 2001.

Reacting to the raids, DMK said that it would fight legally the cases filed against its partymen. Party President M. Karunanidhi said: ‘‘after giving the scorpion the authority, nobody should blame it for stinging’’.

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Karunanidhi said he was not going to file a defamation suit against the former DGP of Karnataka C. Dinakar, for his remarks against him in the book Veerappan’s Prize Catch: Rajkumar.