A political controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu days before its April 23 Assembly polls, when the state chief of the Congress, Selvaperunthagai, alleged that income-tax (I-T) officials raided his premises and confined him unlawfully within his constituency (Sriperumbudur), around the same time when Rahul Gandhi was in the state to hold a campaign. The I-T department denied the leader’s allegations about such a raid and called the claims false.
The matter gained fresh traction after the polls, when Selvaperunthagai on Friday (April 24) released CCTV footage from a house near Chennai, claiming he was deliberately targeted. The matter has now escalated into a formal police complaint, raising questions over what actually transpired.
Also read: Record turnout in TN, Bengal: What’s behind the surge? | Talking Sense With Srini
The controversy also intersects with an earlier incident involving an error in the translation of Rahul’s speech, which reportedly led to friction in the Congress’s campaign.
Translation row
Selvaperunthagai faced criticism after allegedly mistranslating Rahul Gandhi’s speech during a rally in Sholinghur on April 18. Key points were reportedly altered or softened in Tamil.
Sources suggest Rahul Gandhi was unhappy with the goof-up, and Selvaperunthagai was absent from subsequent campaign events. His absence on April 20 is now being linked by critics to the I-T raid narrative.
TN Congress chief’s claims, counterclaims
Selvaperunthagai, who earlier this month expressed an intention to step down from the post of the Tamil Nadu Congress chief’s post after the results come out on May 4, alleged Hindi-speaking officials conducted an unauthorised raid at the residence of his friend Padappai Manoharan, a member of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and a Congress ally. He alleged that the officers lacked proper identification, demanded money, and attempted to switch off CCTV cameras.
“I was unlawfully confined and prevented from attending campaign events,” he said during a press conference.
After the elections, he released CCTV footage showing vehicles and individuals entering the premises, claiming they were I-T officials. He also stated that he had been using the residence for a stay, making him the intended target.
On April 21, the Central Board of Direct Taxes issued a statement denying any raid or enforcement action. A senior official clarified, “There was no raid, no survey, and no enforcement action against Selvaperunthagai.”
Also read: How TN poll campaign turned performative in battle to attract Gen Z voters
Officials explained that only a limited verification was conducted based on intelligence inputs about possible unaccounted cash movement in the Padappai area near Chennai.
They added that the visit was carried out jointly with Tamil Nadu Police and the Election Flying Squad, and not independently. No cash was recovered during the inquiry.
According to I-T sources, the residence belongs to Manoharan, who doesn’t belong to the Congress. They also stated there was no evidence of any Congress office functioning at the location.
The department accused Selvaperunthagai of creating “unnecessary political confusion” and spreading misleading information.
Subsequently, the I-T department filed a formal complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner and informed the Election Commission, seeking action against the Congress leader.
Row leads to police probe
Despite the official denial and legal action, Selvaperunthagai has stood by his claims, releasing additional visuals and reiterating that he was specifically targeted.
Also read: ‘One of the worst elections TN has seen’: Activist flags massive cash flow
The controversy has now shifted from political rallies to police investigation.
Was it a routine verification misrepresented for political reasons, or is there more beneath the surface? We may have to wait a little while to know the truth.
The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.
Comments are closed.