Indian minister V Senthil Balaji breaks down in tears after arrest over alleged fraud

Balaji is facing allegations of money laundering

V Senthil Balaji breaks down after his arrest. ANI

A minister from the ruling party in India’s southern Tamil Nadu broke down in tears after he was arrested by the federal financial fraud agency over allegations of money laundering.

V Senthil Balaji, a politician from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party in the coastal state, was interrogated for 18 hours by the central Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday over his alleged involvement in a job racket.

The agency also conducted raids lasting more than 24 hours at his residence in Chennai.

He was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday. Moments later, he complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital.

At the hospital the minister, who holds Electricity, Excise and Prohibition portfolios, broke down as his supporters gathered outside and shouted slogans against the federal agency.

India’s national and regional opposition parties have long alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is using federal agencies as a weapon to target rival politicians.

V Senthil Balaji. Photo: Twitter/ @V_Senthilbalaji

The party leader and state chief minister MK Stalin accused Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party of targeting the party and slammed the government for the raids on Mr Balaji.

“The raid conducted by ED at the secretariat office of hon'ble minister Senthil Balaji, is a direct assault on the federal principle,” Mr Stalin said on Twitter.

“The backdoor tactics of BJP against its political opponents will not yield the desired results. BJP will learn it the hard way soon. The silence of people who are watching BJP's cheap acts of vindictive politics should not be underestimated.”

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the late-night arrest.

"This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it. None of us in the opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves," he said.

Fourteen political parties had approached the Supreme Court in March against the centre’s “arbitrary use” of agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation to arrest and begin criminal proceedings against opposition leaders who express dissent or disagree with Mr Modi’s government.

A newspaper report last year said the financial police agency was investigating 121 politicians, 95 per cent of them from the opposition parties since the right wing Hindu nationalist government came to power in 2015.

in July last yearThe agency had questioned Sonia Gandhi, a senior leader from the opposition Indian National Congress, in an alleged money-laundering case, .