The Income Tax department today conducted searches on the premises of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar on charges of alleged tax evasion, drawing angry reaction from the party which accused the Modi government of targeting its MLAs out of political vendetta.

IT officials said the searches are being carried out on at least three premises of the Chhatarpur MLA in the national capital by teams having 40 income tax and police officials.

The officials said the department had received 'actionable inputs' with regard to the MLA's transactions and hence the operation was launched.

The party termed the development as 'political vendetta' by the Centre against AAP MLAs. Reacting to the development, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisoida said, 'Modi ji you deploy, the CBI (Central Bureau of investigation), Delhi Police, IB (the Intelligence Bureau), ED (the Enforcement Directorate) and Income Tax, but we will keep on with our work.'

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh said Singh's residence was gheraoed as if Singh was a terrorist. He also accused the Delhi Police of 'misbehaving' with arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan's wife.

Eleven AAP MLAs have been arrested in different cases since the party came to power in Delhi for a second time in February last year.