Congress Served IT Penalty Notice of Rs 1,800 Crores, Rahul Gandhi Threatens “Exemplary Action” against “Destroyers of Democracy”
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 29: The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday threatened that his party would take to take “exemplary action” against those who have destroyed democracy “when the government changes” at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.
His statement came hours after the Congress received a fresh notice from the income tax department for the payment of over Rs 1,800 crores in arrears and penalty, which the party described as “tax terrorism.” The Income Tax department served a fresh notice of ₹1,823 crore to the Congress for tax penalties along with interest due to alleged discrepancies in tax returns for years 2017-18 to 2020-21. The fresh notice was received earlier this week.
Targeting the ruling BJP government at the Centre, Mr Gandhi warned that when the government changes, action would be taken against those who have “destroyed democracy” and that the action would be so stringent that no one in future would dare to take similar steps to destroy democracy as the present rulers in Delhi.
“When the government changes, action will definitely be taken against those who are destroying democracy. And the action will be taken in such a manner that no one will have the courage to do all this again. This is my guarantee,” Mr Gandhi said in a post on X.
Mr Gandhi alleged central departments such as the income tax were working at the behest of the BJP. The Congress is preparing to fight a long legal war to scrap the tax demands. Congress leader Ajay Maken said the BJP has in the past few years got donations from thousands of people, and their income tax should also be calculated.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, party treasurer Ajay Maken and general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of “indulging in tax terrorism.” Through the “electoral bonds scam,” Mr Ramesh said the “BJP has collected ₹8,200 crore and used the route of “pre-paid, post-paid, post-raid bribes and shell companies.”
“The Congress has received a demand of ₹1,823 crore from Income Tax department. They have raised a demand of ₹53 crore alone from 1993-94 when Sitaram Kesri was the President,” Mr Maken said. He alleged that the BJP is in serious violation of income-tax laws and said the I-T department should raise a demand of more than ₹4,600 crore from the saffron party for such violations. “Going by the fines that the Income Tax department for so-called violations, the BJP should then pay a penalty of ₹ 4,617.58 crore,” he added.
Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said political parties have to fill up Form 24A, in which two basic and important pieces of information have to be given — the names and addresses of donors. “We have analysed all the submissions of the BJP to the Election Commission. The party has faltered every year,” Mr Maken alleged. “Efforts are being made to financially cripple the Congress, but we are not going to be cowed down,” Mr Ramesh said.
The Congress is already facing a funds crunch after Income Tax authorities imposed a penalty of ₹210 crore and froze its funds. The party has not received any relief from the High Court in the case and is likely to move the Supreme Court just weeks before the Lok Sabha elections. The party has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.
