CBI raid at Stalin's residence blatant misuse of power: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said the Central Bureau of Investigation’s raids at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Stalin's residence is an example of the ‘blatant’ misuse of power by the United Progressive Alliance government for its survival and proves that it uses the probe agency to muffle allies who are walking out of the ruling coalition.

"The CBI raids on Stalin in the imported cars case vindicates the BJP's charges that Congress has been blatantly misusing CBI to survive in government. Today, the CBI is indeed the Congress Bureau of Investigation," party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

He alleged that while there are "endless charges" of corruption against Congress, it is attempting to "muffle" the voices of those alliance partners which plan to abandon it.

"This raid on Stalin, heir apparent to the DMK, is a message to BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) and SP (Samajwadi Party) that if they desert the UPA government, they are going to meet the same fate," Rudy said.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati are facing cases of disproportionate assets, which are being investigated by the CBI.

BJP leader Balbir Punj accused the Congress of resorting to the same "trick" again and said that it is an "obvious case" of misuse of the investigating agency.

"This needs to be condemned by everybody because it does not bode well for the democracy of this country. And this Emergency mindset continues. The country will take cognisance of that and fight against it," Punj said, adding that he could not speak on the merits of the charges which have been levelled against Stalin.