Chennai, Jun 14 (IANS): The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), the political coalition led by the DMK, on Wednesday said that it will hold a protest march in Coimbatore on June 16 against the arrest of Tamil Nadu minister for Electricity Senthil Balaji.

The SPA said that the protest has been planned to condemn "anti-people, anti-democratic and intimidatory BJP politics."

The joint statement signed by DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan, MDMK, Dravidar Kazhagam, CPI-M, CPI, VCK, Kongu Nadu Makkal Desiya Katchi, Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi, IUML and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi, said that the BJP government at the Centre was using the official agencies against its political opponents.

The statement said that as the BJP cannot win in Tamil Nadu, the Saffron Party is trying a backdoor entry in the state.

The SPA said that the minister was tortured in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) even after he had assured all cooperation to the investigating agency.

The SPA leaders also came out strongly against the ED conducting raids at the office of the minister in the state secretariat and added, "We are not frightened by such actions."

The statement added that the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah was a failure and to hide this failure, the action against Senthil Balaji was initiated.