Chennai, Jun 13 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday lashed out against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the official residence and office of state Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji, terming them a ploy by the BJP-led Central government to get a backdoor entry in the state.

Stalin, who also heads the state's ruling DMK, said that such actions would not yield any results and called upon the Central government to understand the folly of such moves.

He said that the searches in the minister's office at the secretariat were nothing but political vendetta.

Meanwhile, DMK state Organising Secretary and former MP R.S. Bharathi said that the raids conducted at the office and residence of Senthil Balaji were to create a smoke screen to cover up the spat between the AIADMK and the BJP in Tamil Nadu.

He also said that no prior permission from the Chief Secretary was taken for conducting raids at the office of the minister in the Secretariat.

The Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at the official residence of Senthil Balaji on Tuesday morning, and later, conducted raids at the office of the minister in the Secretariat.

The Income Tax department had conducted raids at the premises of several people linked to the minister during the last week of May. The IT officials had complained that the supporters of the minister's brother had assaulted them.