NEW DELHI: The Congress’ main bank accounts were frozen on Friday over an income tax demand of Rs 210 crore but an I-T appellate tribunal later allowed it to operate them pending a further hearing next week, a huge relief for the party which said the move had impacted all political activity.
On our petition, Income Tax Department and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has said that we have to ensure that Rs 115 crores have to be kept in the Banks. This 115 crore is the lien marked in the Bank Accounts.
We can spend an amount over and above…
— Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) February 16, 2024
Congress treasurer Ajay Maken, who had earlier addressed a press conference to announce that Income Tax authorities had frozen its accounts, said the tribunal has put a lien of Rs 115 crore on its accounts and the party has been allowed to spend over and above that. Party leader Vivek Tankha, who appeared before the tribunal against the order, said he told the tribunal that the Congress would not be able to participate in the ”festival of elections” if its accounts remain frozen. The tribunal will hear the matter next Wednesday before a final decision is taken on the matter.
Power drunk Modi Govt has frozen the accounts of the country’s largest Opposition party – the Indian National Congress – just before the Lok Sabha elections.
This is a deep assault on India's Democracy !
The UNCONSTITUTIONAL money collected by the BJP would be utilised by them…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 16, 2024
Several party leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, expressed their outrage and alleged that the government’s move was an attack on democracy. Maken, who said democracy was in danger in the country, detailed the tribunal’s order. ”On our petition, Income Tax Department and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has said that we have to ensure that Rs 115 crore have to be kept in the Banks. This 115 crore is the lien marked in the Bank Accounts,” he said.
@INCIndia can operate its accounts with a lien of the IT Dept thereon !! Direction by Hon ITAT delhi. Prayer for interim relief will be heard on Wednesday. #inc #bankaccounts #initialrelief pic.twitter.com/BqMNG2jUYE
— Vivek Tankha (@VTankha) February 16, 2024
”We can spend an amount over and above that,” he said in a post on X using the hashtag ”#DemocracyFrozen”.
”This means that Rs 115 crores have been frozen. This Rs 115 crores is much more than we have in our Current Accounts,” he explained.
Two Notices- 1st to AICC bankers, and the 2nd to IYC Bankers;
“A sum of Rs.135,06,88,984/-…(+ Rs 75, 17, 97, 015/- for IYC bank account) is due from the Indian National Congress”
“You are hereby required under Section 226(3) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, to pay to me forthwith… pic.twitter.com/YESTvgC9t4
— Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) February 16, 2024
Sharing two such I-T notices sent to its bankers – Bank of Baroda, Connaught Place branch and State Bank of India, Shastri Bhawan branch, Maken said the tax authorities have asked the bankers to pay them Rs 135 crore and Rs 75 crore respectively as income tax dues from the Congress. The bankers were asked to pay the income tax authorities from the accounts of the Congress with them. The notice also held the bankers personally liable for paying the amount to the tax authorities.
”You are hereby required under Section 226(3) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, to pay to me forthwith any amount due from you to or, held by you, for or on account of Bank Account No. 062304xxxxx and any other bank account/fixed deposit with your bank in the name of Indian National Congress up to the amount of arrears shown above.” ”All our bankers are being sent this… Is this not attaching/ seizing / freezing our accounts,” Maken asked in another post.
After targeting and freezing the accounts of @INCIndia & @IYC, it is now the turn of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. @INCDelhi just received this notice from the @IncomeTaxIndia department. pic.twitter.com/TByWEvYhOo
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) February 16, 2024
Later, Congress leader Pawan Khera shared another such notice to Delhi Congress banker Canara Bank in DDU Marg here, making a similar demand of Rs 75 crore. Maken had earlier said the freezing of its accounts on ”flimsy grounds” had affected all political activity of the party barely two weeks before general elections are announced. The accounts, including that of the Indian Youth Congress, were frozen on an Income Tax demand of a total Rs 210 crore for 2018-19, an election year, he said. The Congress treasurer said the party filed its Income Tax returns for the concerned year a few days late and that is why this action. The matter, he said, also pertains to a ”discrepancy” in cash receipts of Rs 14.4 lakh given to the party by its MLAs and MPs as donations from their salaries.
He said the IT authorities’ orders freezing the accounts had come on Wednesday. While Maken said four main bank accounts were frozen, sources later put the number at nine. The party was unable to use even the funds received under its crowdfunding scheme, Maken said at the press conference. Kharge, Gandhi and general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal spoke out in posts on X.
The Income Tax Department has frozen the INC’s accounts without any reason and the government has once again tried to murder democracy.
But we will not be bogged down by these relentless attacks – all PCCs will be holding massive protests against this action tomorrow (17 Feb)…
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) February 16, 2024
”Don’t be afraid Modi ji, Congress is not the name of power of money, but of the power of people… We have never bowed before dictatorship, nor will we ever bow down,” Rahul Gandhi said.
डरो मत मोदी जी, कांग्रेस धन की ताकत का नहीं, जन की ताकत का नाम है।
हम तानाशाही के सामने न कभी झुके हैं, न झुकेंगे।
भारत के लोकतंत्र की रक्षा के लिए हर कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ता जी जान से लड़ेगा।#DemocracyUnderAttack
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 16, 2024
”Every Congress worker will fight tooth and nail to protect India’s democracy,” he added, using the hashtag ”#DemocracyUnderAttack”.
Terming the government ”power drunk” for freezing the accounts of India’s largest opposition party just before the Lok Sabha elections, Kharge said in his post that it was a ”deep assault” on democracy. The unconstitutional money collected by the BJP would be utilised by them for elections, but the money collected by the Congress through crowdfunding shall be sealed, the party president said.
”That is why, I have said that there won’t be any elections in the future. We appeal to the Judiciary to save the multi-party system in this country and protect India’s Democracy,” the Congress chief said.
”Not just the Congress party’s accounts, but India’s democracy has been frozen,” Venugopal said.
Not just the Congress party’s accounts, but India’s democracy has been frozen.
Barely a month before the 2024 elections, the Government chooses to stop the principal opposition party from carrying out ANY financial transactions – on totally flimsy grounds.
When one avenue to…
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) February 16, 2024
Pointing out that the government’s dictatorial attitude came barely a month before the 2024 elections, Venugopal made a reference to the Supreme Court scrapping the electoral bond scheme for political funding on Thursday.
”When one avenue to tilt the balance was struck down by the courts yesterday, the Government has chosen a new route now.
”The BJP has hoarded over Rs 6500 crore through the illegal electoral bond scandal, which remain untouched – but the earnest donations of ordinary INC workers and supporters are frozen,” he said on X.
He added that the party will fight ”this new assault on democracy tooth and nail”.
Source: Press Trust of India
