The Income Tax Department on Tuesday denied the allegations against Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai and claimed that no search, probe or enforcement action was taken against him.
According to a statement issued by the CBDT spokesperson and the Commissioner of Income Tax (Media and Technical Policy), India’s Income Tax Department said it had looked into the allegations and found them “totally baseless and factually incorrect”.
The clarification came after Selvaperunthagai alleged that officials illegally detained him on the pretext of a search and prevented him from participating in political activities. The department also denied reports that his residence in Kilpauk, Chennai had been searched.
It further specified that no action had been taken against him on April 20 or in the recent past and that his movement had not been restricted.
Income Tax Department explains
“The said allegations are totally baseless and factually incorrect. It is clarified that on 20.04.2026 or on any date in the recent past, no search, survey or any form of enforcement was conducted by the Income Tax Authority against Shri K. Selvaperunthagai. Further, no action was taken to restrict his movement, including his residence. Chennai, were involved in any proceedings for income tax as demanded,” the statement said.
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The ministry said that limited verification exercises were conducted in certain areas of Sriperumbudur based on specific intelligence inputs regarding suspicious movement of unaccounted cash. She added that these routine checks were carried out in coordination with the relevant authorities, were in no way linked to Selvaperunthagai and did not lead to any findings that warranted further action.
“False and misleading statements… have been reported to the Election Commission of India,” the statement said, adding that a complaint has also been lodged with the Chennai police seeking appropriate legal action for spreading false information and defamation against a government department.
What did K. Selvaperunthagai claim?
“Income Tax Department with Hindi-speaking officials illegally confined me to Sriperumbudur constituency under the pretext of ‘inspection’, effectively preventing me from performing my political duties and dealing with people,” Selvaperunthagai alleged in a post on his X platform.
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“This premeditated action, carried out at a politically sensitive moment, is a clear and deliberate attempt to hinder democratic functioning and weaken the activities of the opposition. The timing of this intervention reveals its true intent – not coercion, but intimidation. It reflects a disturbing pattern of using central agencies as instruments of political pressure to silence dissent, limit political participation and create an atmosphere of fear,” he added among opposition leaders and workers.
He mentioned that such abuse of authority amounted to an attack on the basic principles of democracy, including free movement, freedom of expression and fair political participation.
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Claiming that the use of institutions for political purposes undermines public trust and undermines democratic integrity, he strongly condemned what he described as politically motivated actions, noting that he would continue to stand firm against any attempts to suppress democratic voices, asserting that intimidation would not deter him from serving the people and promoting justice, fairness and democratic values.
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections 2026 will be held on April 23, counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
