The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
PARTY SAYS GOVT FREEZING ACCOUNTS BEFORE POLLS Sonia targets PM: Systematic bid to cripple Cong financially
AS IT awaited the Delhi High Court’s judgment on its plea against the initiation of income tax reassessment proceedings for 2017-18, the Congress on Thursday said it has received a notice from the I-T Department for a financial year as way back as 1993-94. The Congress’s top three leaders, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, accused the ruling BJP of crippling the party financially ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
At a press conference, Sonia Gandhi said a “systematic effort is underway by the prime minister to cripple the Congress financially.”
“Funds collected from the public are being frozen, and money from our accounts is being taken away forcibly... On the one hand, there is the electoral bond issue... The electoral bonds have benefited the BJP hugely. On the other hand, the finances of the principal Opposition party, the INC, are under a determined assault. This is truly unprecedented,” she said.
Rahul said: “All our bank accounts have been frozen. We can do no campaign work... We cannot support our candidates... and this is being done two months before the elections. Why is it being done? One notice comes from the 90s, another notice comes from 6-7 years ago,” Rahul said.
Congress treasurer Ajay Maken claimed that the party’s 11 accounts in four banks have been frozen. “For a notice for financial year 2017-18, a lien on Rs 210 crore was marked in our 11 accounts in 4 banks. The reason given is, that Rs 14.49 lakh was received in cash (as donations made by our MPS to the Congress party), out of total receipt of Rs 199 crore. This cash component is just 0.07 per cent of the total donations. And the punishment was 106 per cent,” he said.
Maken said the party received a fresh notice from the Income Tax Department for the financial year 1993-94 last week. “We are being asked to calculate penal charges...after 31 years of the assessment,” he said.
Congress president Kharge asked whether the BJP or any other political party had ever paid income tax. “Defreeze our accounts to ensure a level playing field in polls,” he said.