Tax notices: Attempt to choke party financially, says Congress; not above law, counters BJP

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Saturday claimed that it has been served with two additional income tax notices.

This comes a day after the party was asked to pay a penalty exceeding Rs 1,800 crore by the income tax department. Speaking at a press conference, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told the reporters, "Two additional notices were dispatched to us last night."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused institutions like CBI and ED of working at the behest of BJP-led government at the Centre and warned that action will be taken against these institutions when the government changes. "If these institutions had done their job properly there would have been no problem. These agencies should think that some day the BJP government will change and after that there will be action. And it is my guarantee that the action will be so strong that no institution will dare to do such things again," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress leader was reacting to income tax department's fresh notices asking the party to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore. The Congress has accused the ruling BJP of indulging in "tax terrorism" to financially cripple the opposition party ahead of Lok Sabha polls.


'I-T notice served to me on already settled matter': Karnataka deputy CM D K Shivakumar
Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar claimed that he received an Income Tax notice despite the matter being resolved. He accused the Centre of targeting the opposition and expressed surprise at the notice.

“I too got a notice last night from the Income Tax, which is already a settled matter. I was shocked, as well as my personal assistant and all,” Shivakumar said.

The DCM said, “The I-T officials were going to all the places even though the matter is in the court.”




Congress workers hold protest
Chandigarh Congress workers held the protest outside the Congress Bhawan. They were holding placards which mentioned 'Save democracy'. Speaking to reporters here, Chandigarh Congress president H S Lucky alleged that the notices were being sent to the Congress at the behest of the BJP-led Centre to ensure no level-playing field in the Lok Sabha polls.

"The Modi government is doing it deliberately in order to end level-playing field. Opposition leaders are being sent to jail while funds of rival political parties are being frozen," he further alleged.

A large number of Congress leaders and workers also carried out a sit-in protest in Kerala's capital.

"The objective of the BJP is to choke the Congress party financially and keep it completely out of election-related activities," he alleged.

Besides the Congress, several other opposition political parties had also been served with the I-T notices by the BJP government, he said.



Congress still arrogant, it is not above law: BJP's Anurag Thakur
Union minister Anurag Thakur defended the issuance of new notices by the Income Tax department to the Congress and accused the grand old party of being "arrogant."

He alleged that the Congress rebranded itself as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to conceal corruption.

“Congress is still arrogant due to its six- decade rule. If other political parties are honouring IT laws, why not Congress.

“Should there be a separate law for the party? Is the Congress not violating the laws? If they had tax exemptions, they just had to file their returns but they failed to do it. And secondly, they have received huge cash donations but they have not declared information related to it,” the minister told reporters on the sidelines of a public rally.