Just an hour after the Congress announced on Friday that the party’s bank accounts, including those of the Youth Congress, were frozen and made inoperative by the Income Tax department, it clarified that the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Delhi unfroze the accounts.
The allegation comes just weeks ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha Election 2024 schedule.
Congress party treasurer Ajay Maken earlier held a press conference where he called the action of freezing accounts a “disturbing blow to the democratic process”.
“We have filed an application to the income tax tribunal. Now the hearing is currently underway and in total four accounts have been frozen,” Maken had said.
Later, Maken issued another clarification saying that while IT lifted the freeze on its bank accounts it has said that the party has to ensure that Rs 115 crore are kept in the banks as lien.
The ITAT has reportedly allowed the Congress to spend an amount over and above Rs 115 crore. But, according to Maken, the Congress has much less than Rs 115 crore in its current account.
According to reports, the freeze reportedly stems from a tax demand of Rs 210 crore raised by the Income Tax department, a move that the Congress claims is politically motivated and strategically timed to disrupt the party’s election preparations.
Party leader Vivek Tankha, who appeared before the tribunal against the order, said the party was now allowed to operate its bank accounts.
The tribunal will hear the matter next Wednesday before a final decision is taken on the matter.
The government, on the other hand, said the government had nothing to do with Congress’s finance accounts being frozen and it was a ‘regulatory action.’
On the freezing of the Congress bank accounts, the Income Tax department said that the party has only gotten a temporary relief and the Congress will have to give transaction and expenditure details.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a social media post, attacked the Modi government and said “Money is not Congress party’s power.”
“Don’t be afraid Modi ji, Congress is not the name of power of money but of power of people. We have never bowed down before dictatorship, nor will we ever bow down. Every Congress worker will fight tooth and nail to protect India’s democracy,” Gandhi wrote on X.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge also raised his concerns and said Modi government is intoxicated with power.
“The unconstitutional money that BJP has collected will be used in the elections, but the money we have collected through crowdfunding will be sealed. That is why we have said that there will be no elections in the future! We appeal to the judiciary to save the multi-party system in this country and secure India’s democracy. We will take to the streets and fight strongly against this injustice and dictatorship,” Kharge said in a post on X.
Also Read: US Issues 1.9 Lakh Employment-Based Immigrant Visas In FY23
