Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday lashed out at the ruling BJP at the Centre over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against his cabinet colleague V Senthil Balaji, charging it with "backdoor intimidation" of political rivals.

The ED had conducted raids on properties associated with Balaji, who holds the Electricity and Prohibition and Excise portfolios.

"The BJP's politics of backdoor intimidation of those it is unable to face politically will not succeed. The time that they themselves will realise it is nearing," Stalin said in a statement.

He particularly took strong objection to the ED officials conducting searches at the office room of Balaji at the State Secretariat, saying it was a "blot on federalism." With Balaji promising full cooperation to the investigating agency, "it is not known what was the need for holding searches at the minister's room in the Secretariat." Stalin added.

The development comes two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Tamil Nadu, he added.

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