‘Baseless’: Income Tax Dept denies Tamil Nadu Congress chief K. Selvaperunthagai's allegations of raid at his residence

Income Tax Department on Tuesday denied allegations made by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai, asserting that no search, survey, or enforcement action was carried out against him.

According to the statement issued by the CBDT spokesperson and Commissioner of Income Tax (Media & Technical Policy), the Income Tax Department of India said it had examined the allegations and found them to be “entirely baseless and factually incorrect.”

The clarification came after Selvaperunthagai alleged that officials had unlawfully confined him under the pretext of a search and prevented him from taking part in political activities. The department also dismissed reports that his residence in Kilpauk, Chennai, had been searched.

It further clarified that no action was carried out against him on April 20 or in the recent past, and that no restriction was placed on his movement.

The department said that limited verification exercises were conducted in certain areas of Sriperumbudur based on specific intelligence inputs regarding suspected movement of unaccounted cash. It added that these routine checks were carried out in coordination with appropriate authorities, were not connected to Selvaperunthagai in any manner, and did not result in any findings warranting further action.

“The false and misleading statements… have been reported to the Election Commission of India,” the release said, adding that a complaint has also been filed with the Chennai Police seeking appropriate legal action for spreading false information and making defamatory allegations against a government department.

"This deliberate action, carried out at a politically sensitive moment, is a clear and calculated attempt to obstruct democratic functioning and weaken the activities of the opposition. The timing of this intervention exposes its true intent - not enforcement, but intimidation. It reflects a disturbing pattern of using central agencies as instruments of political pressure to silence dissent, restrict political participation, and create an atmosphere of fear among opposition leaders and workers," he added.

He mentioned that such misuse of authority amounted to an attack on the core principles of democracy, including free movement, free speech, and fair political participation.

He alleged that using institutions for political purposes undermines public trust and weakens democratic integrity, and strongly condemned what he described as a politically motivated action, further noting that he would continue to stand firm against any attempts to suppress democratic voices and asserted that intimidation would not deter him from serving the people and upholding justice, fairness, and democratic values.

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections 2026 will be held on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.