Congress alleges Centre forced banks to transfer Rs 66 crore to I-T during lien

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre of resorting to ‘tax terrorism’ and trying to economically cripple the party ahead of the General Elections, likely to be announced within a week or so.

Addressing a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters with several senior party leaders including general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, the party leaders said that they will exercise all options including legal and judicial and also go to the ‘people’s court and expose the dictatorship of this government.’

Venugopal said that the BJP government had forced the bank officials to transfer Rs 65.89 crores to the Income Tax department, which was a robbery by the BJP of Congress money.

“This money was either collected through crowdfunding or generated through a membership drive by the IYC and the National Students Union of India (NSUI),” he said.

‘Opposition being targeted and harassed’

Venugopal said, “This was a clear attempt by the ruling party at the centre to deny the minimum level playing field to the principal opposition party in the country,” and alleged that all the opposition parties were being targeted and harassed in different ways and they will fight against this dictatorship together.

He warned that the BJP was dragging the country towards dictatorship as never ever has such a thing happened in the country’s history. He pointed out, that even Congress has been in power for a long time and never did it intimidate any opposition party like this.

‘I-T department intimidating banks’

Party Treasurer Ajay Maken said that on February 20, the income tax officers had gone to different banks where the Congress party has accounts and forced the officials to transfer the party’s money to the I-T department. He said the officers were intimidated and told that if they failed to transfer the money, it would be recovered from them personally.

Maken alleged that this was completely illegal to do since the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal had put a lien on the Congress party bank accounts, which means that no transaction could be carried out. But, he pointed out, the I-T authorities forced the banks to transfer the money while the lien was in force.

He said, it was ridiculous that the I-T department had imposed a penalty of Rs 210 crores, over a cash deposit of Rs 14.49 lakhs, which was deposited by sitting and former Congress MPs and MLAs from their salaries.

‘BJP attacking democracy’

The Congress treasurer said that all the political parties are exempted from income tax since the money they collect through donation or membership is not income but is used for party activities. He asked the BJP whether it has ever paid any tax or penalty.

He alleged that the BJP had a definite design and even it knew that Congress would get relief from the courts and the entire money had to be returned. However, he pointed out, that legal processes take time while the elections are around the corner. He said, by the time the legal process is completed the elections will be over and the BJP’s purpose will be served.

Maken said, it was not just an attack on the Congress to cripple it economically and financially ahead of the elections, but also an attack on the country’s democracy.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that this was the same old trick of the BJP pointing out how the demonetisation was announced on November 8, 2016, just two months ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections. He said it was done to financially cripple the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress at that time.

Now, he added, the Modi government is straightway trying to cripple the Congress financially just before the elections as it had been panic-stricken by the success of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and also over the issues of unemployment and farmers’ protests.