New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said its Tamil Nadu president K Selvaperunthagai was “unlawfully” taken hostage. Income Tax DepartmentAccused the central agency of preventing him from pursuing his political duties Rahul GandhiCampaign in electoral state.In a social media post on Twitter, Congress termed the searches as a “gross misuse” of central agencies and claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party She is intimidating and stopping opposition leaders before voting.“As soon as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reached Tamil Nadu for election campaign, a shocking incident came to light. Tamil Nadu PCC President K Selvaperunthagai ji was illegally detained in Sriperumbudur by the Income Tax Department in the pretext of ‘search’, thereby preventing him from performing his political duties,” the party said.“This is not routine action. This is a flagrant misuse of central agencies by the BJP to intimidate and obstruct opposition leaders at a crucial moment. Such actions strike at the heart of democracy. Silencing dissent and targeting political opponents through the state machinery is unacceptable. India’s democracy cannot be reduced to intimidation and coercion. The people are watching, and they will respond.”The Income Tax Department is raiding the residence of the Congress leader following complaints alleging that cash meant to be distributed to voters was kept hidden there.Selvaperunthagai also hit out at the BJP and said the action was a clear and deliberate attempt to obstruct democratic functioning and weaken the activities of the opposition.“As soon as Rahul Gandhi ji arrived in Tamil Nadu today for an important election campaign, the Income Tax Department, along with Hindi-speaking officials, under the pretext of ‘searching’, illegally confined me within the Sriperumbudur Assembly constituency, effectively preventing me from discharging my political duties and connecting with the people. This was a deliberate action, taken at a politically sensitive moment,” he said in a social media post on Twitter.He said, “The timing of this intervention exposes its true intent – ​​not enforcement, but intimidation. It reflects a disturbing pattern of using central agencies as an instrument of political pressure to stifle dissent, restrict political participation and create a climate of fear among opposition leaders and activists.”Opposition leader and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will campaign in the southern districts of Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli on Monday, which will be his second visit to Tamil Nadu ahead of the assembly elections.The high-voltage campaign is scheduled to end at 5 pm on April 21, marking the end of the public campaign. The leaders have outlined their final campaign programs in key constituencies.