A plot to financially bankrupt Congress is being hatched: Jairam Ramesh

The Congress claimed on Thursday that the government had “looted” more than Rs 65 crore from its accounts in order to financially ruin the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, accusing the BJP-led Centre of engaging in “financial terrorism” against it.

Additionally, the Congress said that the governing party was trying to “murder democracy” and bring about a “dictatorship raj” in the nation.

Along with Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Ajay Maken, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that the AICC was the target of “tax terrorism attacks” at a news conference held at the AICC headquarters.

There is a plot afoot to financially bankrupt the Congress. This is an effort to destroy democracy, said Ramesh.

Additionally, he stated that the action indicates that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the farmers’ protest, and the rising prices are causing concern for the BJP administration.

Maken said that via the Income Tax Department, the BJP-led Center had “looted” almost Rs 65 crore from its accounts.

He said that this is an effort by the government to financially ruin the Congress party in advance of the Lok Sabha elections, making it unable to contest the polls.

On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, and Ajay Maken brief the media at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi.
Congress charges that the Income Tax Department “undemocratically withdrew” Rs. 65 crore from its bank accounts.
He said that the main opposition party is the target of “financial terrorism” perpetrated by the BJP administration.

He said that this money has been taken out of five accounts.

Venugopal, the general secretary of the Congress organization, described this move as a “attack on democratic principles and values”.

“They (the administration) are attempting to silence the opposition. There has never before been a low-level strike like this one. We’ll battle it out,” he said.

“This is undoubtedly an instance of dictatorship. Venugopal accused the BJP of “dragging the largest democracy in the world to a ‘dictatorship raj’.”

If the BJP has ever paid income tax, Maken enquired.

“Is democracy practiced in our nation? Is the playing field level?” he asked.

“We filed our return on 2nd February, 2019, the proceedings of taking out our money took place five years after, just two weeks before the elections are to be announced,” he said.

The abrupt change in events began on February 14 when four bankers from 11 AICC, Youth Congress, and NSUI chapters received a notification from the IT Department.

According to the party, the income tax agency has demanded more than Rs 210 crore.

It added in a statement that because no bank had such sums in our accounts, our accounts were essentially blocked and therefore inoperative.

“We approached the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, requesting it to grant a stay; the IT officials clarified before the Tribunal that it was an exercise to ‘mark the lien’; thus, the account was not frozen,” the plaintiff said.

“But brazenly, the IT Department went a step ahead and transferred our funds to the government accounts,” it said.