Activist Harsh Mander has alleged that an income tax department notice to his institute Centre for Equity Studies is an attempt by the government to gag him.

The I-T department had issued a notice to the Centre for Equity Studies on September 19 as part of complete scrutiny of the returns for financial year 2016-17 and asked for a reply by September 25.

The notice asks the institute to furnish any evidence/information necessary in support of the I-T return. It does not specify any violation in the return filed by them.