Even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is on his second leg of crucial campaigning in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai on Monday alleged that officials of the Income Tax Department unlawfully confined him in the Sriperumbudur Assembly constituency under the pretext of a search, preventing him from carrying out election work.
“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,” he said in a post on his ‘X’ handle.
He added, “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 participation, and create an atmosphere of fear among opposition leaders and workers.”
Describing the incident as a blatant misuse of authority and an attack on the foundational principles of democracy, Selvaperunthagai said he had been effectively prevented from discharging his political duties and engaging with the people.
He called for the protection of free movement, free speech, and political engagement, adding, “When institutions meant to uphold the law are used to serve political ends, it undermines public trust and erodes the integrity of our democratic system.”
Strongly condemning the action, he termed it politically motivated and asserted, “No amount of intimidation can deter us from our duty to serve the people and uphold the values of justice, fairness, and democracy.”
Registering his strong condemnation, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in a social media post, described the incident as a conspiracy to derail the TNCC president’s election campaign.
“The people of Tamil Nadu will give a befitting reply to the atrocious actions of the Union BJP government, which, apprehensive of a rout, is attempting to hinder the opposition, forgetting that the election is at a critical stage with less than 48 hours left for campaigning,” he wrote.
Coming to Selvaperunthagai’s defence, AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, described the IT raid as a “blatant attempt to intimidate and harass the opposition during elections.” He asked, “Is it the recent setbacks in Parliament that have left the BJP shaken and directionless? Is it because the Congress strongly opposed delimitation that could weaken states like Tamil Nadu and questioned the manner in which the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced without consensus?” He added, “The BJP’s actions expose its fear of the growing support for the Congress and the rising strength of the Congress-DMK and the INDIA alliance.”