Removed after IT raids, Rama Mohana Rao says, I am Chief Secy of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's top bureaucrat P. Rama Mohana Rao who was removed after tax raids at his home and office on Tuesday, said that he is still the Chief Secretary of the state, and claimed that his life was in danger.

Speaking to the media, Rama Mohana Rao said, "I will hand over to you the panchanama of what income tax department has found in my house. I was under house arrest. It is an unconstitutional assault on the office of Chief Secretary. I am still the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu."

After the raids, senior IAS officer Girija Vaidyanathan was appointed as the Chief Secretary of the state on Thursday (December 22), replacing Rao.

Stating that when the CRPF entered his house, his name was not there in the search warrant, he added, "The search warrant had name of my son. They have found nothing, no incriminate documents were found, no secret chamber."

"At gun point, CRPF entered my house, my son's house. Why did they do? I may be a big hurdle for many. I am being targeted. I have fear, my life is in danger," he said.

Rama Mohana Rao also said that they (government) had no guts to serve him with the copy of transfer order.

Questioning where the state government was and who gave the CRPF the go-ahead to enter his house, he asked, "If madam (Jayalalithaa) had been alive, would this happen to Tamil Nadu? What about people's security?"