‘Tax terrorism’: Congress lashes out at BJP after getting fresh Rs 1,800 crore I-T notice

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, March 29

Disclosing that the Income Tax Department had slapped a fresh notice of Rs 1,823 crore on it, the Congress today alleged that the ruling BJP was indulging in “tax terrorism” to financially cripple the opposition party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Nationwide protests today, tomorrow

The Congress has announced nationwide protests on Saturday and Sunday at the party’s state and district headquarters against the I-T notices.

‘I-T Dept should recover Rs 4,600 cr from BJP’

The Congress alleged the BJP was in serious violation of I-T laws and the department should raise a demand of over Rs 4,600 crore from the saffron party for such violations.

CPI, CPM told to pay dues

Sources said INDIA bloc constituents CPI and CPM had been also slapped with notices by the I-T Department. Both parties have been told to pay their dues.

Will take action when we come to power

When the govt changes, action will definitely be taken against those who ‘rape democracy’! This is my guarantee. Rahul Gandhi on X

Addressing a press conference here, Congress treasurer and Rajya Sabha member Ajay Maken, who was accompanied by party general secretary Jairam Ramesh, said eight years’ I-T returns of the Congress dating back from 1993-94 had been reopened by the department recently to slap the notice on the party ahead of the elections. “The timing of the action by the I-T Department (in February and March), days before and after the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll on March 16, speaks about the patently mala fide nature of these actions relating to I-T returns of the years gone by,” Maken said in a statement.

“When the government changes, action will definitely be taken against those who ‘rape democracy’! And such action will be taken that no one will dare to do all this again. This is my guarantee,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned in a post on X.

The latest notice follows the alleged “forcible” recovery of Rs 135 crore from Congress bank accounts by the I-T Department last month in connection with another case.

Sources said INDIA bloc constituents CPI and CPM had been also slapped with similar notices by the I-T Department. Both parties had received notices from the department, asking them to pay their “dues”, the sources added.

Maken alleged that the BJP was in serious violation of income tax laws and the I-T Department should raise a demand of over Rs 4,600 crore from the saffron party for such violations.

Maken said they studied the data provided by the BJP to the Election Commission for display on its website. “Our analysis reveals that identities of 1,297 individuals, who donated Rs 42 crore to the BJP, remain undisclosed with no addresses, indicating a blatant breach of regulations. Additionally, there are 92 individuals whose names are absent from the list but they provided electoral bonds to the BJP,” he said.

Maken said the Congress and other like-minded opposition parties were being selectively targeted by the I-T Department, which, he described, as the BJP’s “front organisation”.

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