NEW DELHI: Congress accused the Modi government on Tuesday for facilitating
black money
holders by reducing the penalty on unaccounted wealth from 132% to 50% through the
amendment
in the
Income Tax Act
.
Attacking Modi for bringing yet another scheme to “help black money hoarders legally convert their money”, AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, “The truth is that Narendra Modi is trying to give protection to black money holders and is devising new ways and means to do so.”
Surjewala said Modi first brought out a ‘fair and lovely’ scheme from June 1 to September 30 under which black money could be converted to white by paying 45% tax and then announced the “Tughlaqi decision of demonetisation”.
“Now another new scheme under the name of ‘black money holder welfare scheme’ has been brought. The reality is that the tax penalty of 132% under section 271-I-C of IT Act has now been brought down to 50%,” he added.
Slamming the government for rushing through I-T amendments, he said bringing the money bill in the Lok Sabha and getting it passed amid din without holding a discussion amounted to “trampling of democracy” and was a “complete affront” on the authority of Parliament and the Constitution. The opposition party dubbed the PM’s call to party legislators to submit bank account details as yet another ‘jumla’ (gimmick) and dared him to make public all financial and land dealings of BJP and RSS in the last six months.
Surjewala, along with party member Sushmita Dev, said Modi’s move is also an attempt to deflect public attention from the alleged leakage of
demonetisation.