Live: Timing of CBI raid on Stalin most unfortunate, says PM

12. 57 pm: Timing of CBI raids on Stalin most unfortunate, says PM Upset over the CBI raids on Satlin, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called it ‘most unfortunate’. “Government has role in the CBI raid, will find out who was behind it,” he told reporters. He also said that the timing of the raid was not right. 12. 50 pm: CBI defends action, says raids were in accordance with procedure After much political uproar, the CBI team has defended their action against DMK leader MK Stalin. The CBI team said that the searches were in accordance with procedure and not intended to target any particular individual. Earlier, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had disapproved of the CBI raid on Stalin and said that it will send a wrong signal. Upset with the CBI raids on DMK leader MK Stalin, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had questioned the minister concerned V Narayanasamy. 12. 30 pm: Have been a victim of misuse of CBI, says Mayawati BSP Chief Mayawati today slammed the government over CBI searches at DMK leader M K Stalin’s residence, claiming that she too has been a victim of “misuse” of CBI by both BJP and Congress to further their political interests. “I have been a victim of the misuse of CBI. Be it BJP or Congress, both have misused CBI,” she told reporters. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said such “misuse” is not good for a healthy democracy and “we condemn it”. She said soon after parting ways with BJP, the NDA government used the agency to target her. She said despite Centre’s efforts to target her, she got reprieve from the Supreme Court. 12. 20 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm after uproar over Sri Lankan Tamil issue and other matters. 11. 15 am: Karuna says CBI raids may or may not be political vendetta Waxing philosophical, DMK chief Karunanidhi said that the CBI raids on Stalin ‘may or may not be political vendetta.’ “If the Central Minister says they were not aware of the CBI raids on MK Stalin, we have reasons to believe them,” Karunanidhi said. Is this an indication that post the UNHRC vote things will go back to normal? The UNHRC vote on Sri Lanka will take place at 10 am in Geneva (2. 30 pm Indian time). Update: Lok Sabha adjourned till noon after uproar by DMK over CBI raids on Stalin. 10. 45 am: CBI calls off raid on Stalin After much political uproar, the CBI team leaves MK Stalin’s residence, calling off the raids. Reports say Stalin has not been named in the FIR. CBI sources say they were just looking for a car on the complaint of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The search procedure is reportedly over and the CBI teams have returned. The raid began around 6 am and continued for nearly three hours. Meanwhile, upset with the CBI raids on DMK leader MK Stalin, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has questioned the minister concerned V Narayanasamy. 10. 30 am: Kamal Nath condemns CBI raids on Stalin Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath also disapproved of the CBI raids on Stalin. “However much we condemn it, would be less,” he said. 10. 15 am: Unbelievable that CBI raid without government approval BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad raised questions over the timing of CBI raid at Stalin’s house. “If any DMK leader has committed graft it must be investigated. But for nine years there has been no raid. Then, why just 48 hours after the DMK pulled out of the UPA government?,” asked BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. The BJP leader also said that the CBI will now ‘dictate everything on Mulayam and Mayawati’. Asked about Chidambaram’s disapproval of the CBI raids, Prasad said, the Finance Minister said that only because of his political interests. “Chidambaram wants votes in Sivaganga,” he said. Prasad said that is unbelievable that the CBI raided Stalin’s residence without the government approval. 10. 00 am: Govt misusing CBI to settle political scores, says BJP Reacting to the report on CBI raids on DMK’s Stalin, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the government is using CBI to settle political scores. “The BJP has always alleged that the government is misusing the CBI to settle political scores.” The BJP leader also said that the CBI raid is also an indirect threat to its remaining allies. “It is a sharp message to SP and BSP that if they leave the party, they will face the same action. It’s indirectly a threat to its remaining allies,” he said. 9. 45 am: Chidambaram disapproves of CBI raids on Stalin’s house Finance Minister P Chidambaram said he disapproved of the CBI raids on DMK leader and Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin as it is bound to be misunderstood. Speaking to CNN-IBN, Chidambaram said, “I strongly disapprove of the action by the CBI. It will be misunderstood. It is bound to send a wrong signal. I have spoken to the minister concerned.” 9.00 am: Stalin calls CBI raids ‘political vendetta’ DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin termed the Central Bureau of Investigation raids in his house a ‘political vendetta’. [caption id=“attachment_669530” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  MK Stalin. PTI[/caption] Stalin’s house was searched by the CBI in Chennai this morning in connection with the alleged illegal import of cars. “You see for yourself. The raids took place just two days after we quit the UPA,” Stalin told reporters outside his house. “We will face the case legally. I am unaware of the reasons for the CBI raid,” he added. 8.00 am: Fallout of DMK pullout? CBI raids Stalin’s house in Chennai The heat, it seems, has been turned on the DMK just a day after its president M Karunanidhi announced his decision to pull out of the UPA government over the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. The CBI reportedly raided DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin’s house in Chennai today. The raids are in connection with the alleged illegal import of cars in Chennai and several other cities. The searches are being conducted on the basis of a complaint by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, say reports. One of the illegally imported cars is allegedly being used by Stalin’s son, reports said. The timing of the raids, which effectively seems like a thinly veiled threat, appears to point to the usual Congress stratagem of turning the screws on regional leaders in order to secure  political support for its survival at the Centre. The DMK had withdrawn from the UPA on Tuesday demanding the government should get a resolution passed by Parliament against Sri Lanka. Following the pullout of their party, five Union ministers of the DMK – MK Alagiri, SS Palanimackam, S Gandhiselvan, S Jagatrakshakan and D Napolean – submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, which were accepted and later sent to President Pranab Mukherjee .