New Delhi: The Congress on Friday (March 29) said that it had received fresh notices from the Income Tax (IT) Department to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore and accused the IT Department and the Election Commission of turning a blind eye towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s tax evasion which it alleged was to the tune of Rs 4,617.58 crore.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken and general secretary media and communications Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of tax terrorism.
“This is nothing but tax terrorism against the Congress party,” said Ramesh.
Maken said that the party had analysed the BJP’s donations on the Election Commission’s website and found that in FY 2017-18 the saffron party had taken 92 donations without names worth Rs 4.5 lakh and 1,297 donations without addresses worth Rs 42 crore.
The party said in a statement that while political parties in India are exempt from Income Tax Act under Section 13, “only Congress and other like-minded opposition parties are being singled out and selectively targeted by BJP’s frontal organisation-the Income Tax Department, for coercive action.”
The party said that the BJP itself is in “serious violation of Income Tax laws each year.”
Earlier today, my colleague and AICC Treasurer @ajaymaken highlighted two important facts that are threatening the level-playing field for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections –
1. @INCIndia allegedly committed violations to the tune of Rs. 14 lakhs in 2017-18, and was fined Rs. 135… https://t.co/v8JyndTVX6 pic.twitter.com/ISjFyif4BE
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 29, 2024
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“When we analysed the last two years, 253 donations were taken by the BJP without any names worth Rs 2.5 crore,” said Maken.
“They have Rs 1.05 crore from 126 donors without their addresses. The income tax department and the Election Commission has turned a blind eye towards the BJP’s shortcomings and can only see the Congress. We analysed their violations in the same way that they analysed ours in an incorrect manner about how income tax and interest must be imposed.
“In the last seven years they should be given a penalty of Rs 4617.58 crore. Income tax department should raise this penalty because of these violations. They can see the Congress but why is it not looking at violations done by the BJP. This can be seen from the BJP’s submissions on the Election Commission website. Will this be called a level playing field?”
“The income tax authorities have asked for Rs 1,823.08 crore from us but if we use the same parameters then the BJP’s violations come to Rs 4,617.58 crore. How is this a level playing field and where is democracy in our country today?”
Also read: Why Blocking Congress’s Funds Is Worse Than Watergate
Earlier, this month the party alleged that democracy in India has been frozen and accused the BJP government of “crippling” the party financially by freezing its bank accounts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Last month, the party had said that the BJP government had frozen its bank accounts and demanded Rs 210 crore as recovery over an alleged 45-day delay in filing returns and cash contributions from its lawmakers.
On Friday, the party questioned why the Congress, “a tax-exempt political party, is being forced to pay income tax during this ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha election?”
“Why have the BJP or its alliance parties not been dealt with similarly?”
Maken said that the party will also approach the Supreme Court next week over the Income Tax Department’s demands.
This after the Delhi high court on Thursday dismissed the pleas moved by the Congress against the initiation of income tax re-assessment proceedings against it for four years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) by the tax authorities.
