Congress has received new income tax notices exceeding Rs 1,800 crore and has criticized the BJP for financially suffocating opposition parties during election periods

The Congress announced on Friday that it has received fresh notices from the income-tax department, demanding a payment of Rs 1,823.08 crore. The party accused the ruling BJP of engaging in “tax terrorism” to financially weaken the opposition party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking at a press conference at the AICC headquarters alongside Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, party treasurer Ajay Maken alleged serious violations of income-tax laws by the BJP. He stated that the I-T department should demand more than Rs 4,600 crore from the saffron party for these violations.

Ramesh accused the BJP of engaging in “tax terrorism” while alleging that the party had collected Rs 8,200 crore through the “electoral bonds scam” using methods like “pre-paid, post-paid, post-raid bribes, and shell companies.”

He emphasized that despite efforts to financially weaken the Congress, the party would not back down. Ramesh declared that the Congress’s campaign for the upcoming parliamentary polls would continue, and the party would stand by its commitments to the people.

“We will not be intimidated by these notices. We will intensify our efforts and contest these elections,” stated the former Union minister.

Senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken held a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, March 29, 2024.

Following Congress, the CPI also received a notice from the I-T department for Rs 11 crore in dues, according to sources.

Maken alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties were being selectively targeted by the I-T department, which he described as the BJP’s “frontal organisation.”

He accused the I-T department of launching a deliberate campaign against the Congress by reopening old returns on baseless grounds. Maken added that the Congress would soon approach the Supreme Court regarding the demands made by the I-T department.

Meanwhile, AICC general secretary in-charge of the organisation, K C Venugopal, criticized the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, accusing it of attempting to “financially strangulate” the opposition parties during the election period.

Venugopal stated, “Political parties are usually exempt from paying taxes. However, this penalty is for delays in filing returns. The Narendra Modi government is doing this to bankrupt the Congress party during the elections.”

He revealed that the Congress had been asked to pay Rs 1076.35 crore as a penalty and Rs 692 crore as interest, according to the notice.

Venugopal criticized the BJP for “exploiting” central agencies to target opposition parties and announced a nationwide protest against the government’s actions.

He also claimed that the BJP had not received any notices from the IT Department despite not filing returns.

Senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken addressed a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, March 29, 2024.

The US State Department’s remarks on Kejriwal’s arrest and the freezing of Congress funds were deemed unwarranted by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Delhi High Court had recently rejected petitions by the Congress challenging the initiation of tax reassessment proceedings against it for a four-year period by tax authorities.

The High Court stated that the pleas were dismissed in accordance with its earlier decision not to interfere with the reassessment for another period.

The present matter relates to the assessment years 2017 to 2021, while the earlier dismissed petition concerned the assessment years 2014-15 to 2016-17.

On March 22, the high court, while rejecting the earlier pleas, stated that the tax authority had prima facie compiled “substantial and concrete” evidence warranting further scrutiny.

Senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken addressed a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, March 29, 2024.

With their accounts frozen, the Karnataka Congress has become self-reliant for poll funds.