CHENNAI: Chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday met electricity, prohibition and excise minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and taken to the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Chennai for treatment. Minutes after the meeting, the CM issued a statement saying that the DMK cannot be intimidated by the BJP.
The chief minister was accompanied by health minister Ma Subramanian to the intensive care unit where Senthil Balaji was kept under observation.
In the statement, the chief minister condemned the Enforcement Directorate for harassing the minister so much that he suffered chest pain although the minister had promised to cooperate with the ED in the investigation. Senthil Balaji was questioned in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam while sleuths raided his office at the secretariat and residence on Tuesday. He was arrested on Wednesday morning. He was brought to the hospital with chest pain in the early hours of Wednesday.
Stalin alleged that Senthil Balaji was “mentally and physically harassed” by the investigating agency during the investigation. “They had harassed him till 2am in the name of investigations and brought him to hospital later. He is now in the ICU,” he said asking why they should use this “inhuman approach” to someone who had promised to cooperate with the investigation.
He said the DMK was not afraid of the intimidation tactics of the BJP and that Senthil Balaji would face the case legally, he said. “People, who are watching these acts of oppression, will teach them a befitting lesson in 2024,” he said.
A bulletin from the hospital said Senthil Balaji had undergone a coronary angiogram. He has been advised to undergo a bypass surgery for triple vessel disease. The CM met the minister before the angiogram. After the angiogram, Senthil Balaji was shifted to a room on the sixth floor of the hospital.
Several ministers were present on hospital premises. Central forces and state police were also deployed on the premises.
The chief minister was accompanied by health minister Ma Subramanian to the intensive care unit where Senthil Balaji was kept under observation.
In the statement, the chief minister condemned the Enforcement Directorate for harassing the minister so much that he suffered chest pain although the minister had promised to cooperate with the ED in the investigation. Senthil Balaji was questioned in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam while sleuths raided his office at the secretariat and residence on Tuesday. He was arrested on Wednesday morning. He was brought to the hospital with chest pain in the early hours of Wednesday.
Stalin alleged that Senthil Balaji was “mentally and physically harassed” by the investigating agency during the investigation. “They had harassed him till 2am in the name of investigations and brought him to hospital later. He is now in the ICU,” he said asking why they should use this “inhuman approach” to someone who had promised to cooperate with the investigation.
He said the DMK was not afraid of the intimidation tactics of the BJP and that Senthil Balaji would face the case legally, he said. “People, who are watching these acts of oppression, will teach them a befitting lesson in 2024,” he said.
A bulletin from the hospital said Senthil Balaji had undergone a coronary angiogram. He has been advised to undergo a bypass surgery for triple vessel disease. The CM met the minister before the angiogram. After the angiogram, Senthil Balaji was shifted to a room on the sixth floor of the hospital.
Several ministers were present on hospital premises. Central forces and state police were also deployed on the premises.