Stalin slams Crime Branch raids on Anbil Mahesh as 'political vendetta'
Synopsis
With Central Crime Branch teams raiding six locations linked to former minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, DMK chief Stalin has gone on the offensive — calling it naked political revenge and warning of legal challenges. The standoff lays bare a deepening war between Tamil Nadu's principal opposition and the TVK government, even as a string of unresolved public grievances give the DMK potent ammunition.
Key Takeaways
Central Crime Branch raided six locations in Chennai and Tiruchy linked to former minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on 16 September 2026 .
The probe relates to alleged irregularities in granting private school approvals during the previous DMK government.
Stalin called the raids an act of 'political vendetta' aimed at distracting from TVK government failures.
Stalin cited power outages, Aavin milk shortages, law and order incidents in Ramanathapuram and Chennai , and the Ayanavaram assault case as unaddressed crises.
Stalin accused Chief Minister C.
Joseph Vijay of being on a London visit while serious issues festered at home.
The DMK has vowed to legally challenge the raids, warning that investigative agencies cannot be weaponised to silence opposition.
DMK President M.K. Stalin on 16 September 2026 sharply condemned Central Crime Branch raids on former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, alleging the action amounted to political persecution by the TVK government and was designed to shift focus away from mounting administrative failures across Tamil Nadu.
What the Raids Involved
Central Crime Branch teams conducted searches at six locations in Chennai and Tiruchy, including the former minister's residence. The searches are part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in granting approvals to private schools during the previous DMK government's tenure. No official statement on the findings of the searches had been issued at the time of this report.
Stalin's Allegations Against the Government
Stalin described the raids as driven by 'political vendetta' and reflective of the ruling administration's desperation. In a social media post, he pointed to several unresolved public grievances that he said deserved urgent attention — including frequent power outages affecting residents across the state, a shortage of Aavin milk causing hardship to consumers, and protests by fishermen against the proposed new Secretariat complex at Pattinapakkam.
The DMK president also drew attention to demonstrations staged outside the Secretariat by relatives of Tamil Nadu residents reported missing in Nepal, whom he alleged had not received satisfactory responses from the government. He further cited a double murder in Ramanathapuram, an assault on a government bus driver during a Vinayaka Chaturthi procession in Chennai, and the alleged sexual assault on a woman police officer by a ruling-party functionary in Ayanavaram as instances of law and order deterioration that the administration had failed to address effectively.
Attack on Chief Minister Vijay
Stalin levelled a pointed attack at Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, accusing him of being preoccupied with a visit to London while multiple serious problems demanded immediate attention at home. The accusation underscores the DMK's broader effort to frame the TVK government as both distracted and ineffective.
DMK's Legal Warning
'This naked act of political revenge will be challenged legally,' Stalin said, asserting that politically motivated accusations would not withstand judicial scrutiny. He warned that the government would soon realise that investigative agencies could not be used to silence critics or conceal administrative failures, and that targeting the principal opposition would not reduce public anger against the ruling dispensation.
The development signals an escalating political confrontation between the DMK and the TVK government in Tamil Nadu, with both sides likely to intensify their positions as legal proceedings unfold.
Point of View
The DMK is attempting to reframe the story from 'opposition corruption' to 'government distraction.' What is striking is how quickly this has become a battle over narrative rather than evidence: neither side has yet engaged with the substance of the private school approvals investigation. The use of investigative agencies against opposition figures is a well-worn playbook across Indian states, and courts have repeatedly signalled discomfort with such timing. Whether the probe holds legal merit will matter less in the short run than whether Tamil Nadu voters see it as credible — and on that front, the TVK government's optics, with its CM abroad, are not helping.
NationPress
16 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Central Crime Branch raid Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi's properties?
The Central Crime Branch conducted searches at six locations linked to former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in granting approvals to private schools during the previous DMK government. The raids covered locations in Chennai and Tiruchy, including his residence.
What did M.K. Stalin say about the raids on Anbil Mahesh?
DMK President M.K. Stalin condemned the raids as a 'naked act of political revenge' and 'political vendetta' by the TVK government. He alleged the action was intended to divert public attention from the administration's failures and vowed to challenge it legally.
What governance failures did Stalin highlight alongside the raids?
Stalin pointed to frequent power outages, an Aavin milk shortage, fishermen's protests over a new Secretariat complex at Pattinapakkam, unanswered concerns about Tamil Nadu residents missing in Nepal, a double murder in Ramanathapuram, an assault on a bus driver in Chennai, and an alleged sexual assault by a ruling-party functionary in Ayanavaram.
What accusation did Stalin make against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay?
Stalin accused Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of being on a London visit while multiple serious problems required immediate attention in Tamil Nadu. He used the absence to reinforce his charge that the government was distracted and out of touch with public concerns.
What is the DMK's next step following the raids?
The DMK has said it will challenge the raids through legal channels, with Stalin warning that politically motivated accusations would not survive judicial scrutiny. The party is also likely to intensify its political campaign against the TVK government using the episode as evidence of what it calls administrative overreach.
