The Congress party has recently received fresh notifications from the income-tax department, demanding a hefty sum of Rs 1,823.08 crore. They have also pointed fingers at the BJP, accusing them of violating income-tax laws and suggesting that the authorities should demand over Rs 4,600 crore from the saffron party.
In a press briefing held at the AICC headquarters, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken, along with general secretary Jairam Ramesh, highlighted the alleged discrepancies. Maken emphasized that political parties are required to furnish crucial information in Form 24A, including the details of their donors, a requirement he claimed the BJP consistently failed to fulfill.
Ramesh raised concerns over the "electoral bonds scam," alleging that the BJP had amassed a staggering Rs 8,200 crore through dubious means. He criticized the BJP for engaging in what he termed as "tax terrorism," aimed at undermining the financial stability of opposition parties, particularly the Congress, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Despite facing pressure from the income-tax department, the Congress vowed to continue its electoral campaign undeterred. Maken asserted that the Congress and other opposition parties were being unfairly targeted by what he described as the BJP's "frontal organization," referring to the income-tax department.
The timing of the income-tax department's actions, just before and after the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, raised suspicions of ulterior motives, according to Maken. He accused the department of reopening the Congress's income-tax returns for eight years on what he deemed "baseless and manufactured" grounds.
Furthermore, Maken criticized the freezing of Congress's bank accounts, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the party's activities during important electoral campaigns. He questioned the disparity in treatment between the Congress and other political entities, particularly the BJP, in matters of taxation and financial scrutiny.
In light of these developments, the Congress called into question the fairness of the electoral process and urged for impartiality from regulatory bodies like the Election Commission. Maken emphasized the need for a level playing field in Indian elections, expressing concerns over the integrity of the democratic process in the face of alleged financial manipulation by the ruling party.
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