Congress Accuses BJP of ‘Tax Terrorism’ Ahead of Polls

Fresh I-T Notice of Rs 1,700 Crore Served to Congress Party

The Congress party has accused the BJP of engaging in ‘tax terrorism’ to financially cripple opposition parties ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, following a fresh notice from the Income Tax department worth Rs 1,700 crore over discrepancies in tax returns for previous years.

NEW DELHI – The Congress party has come under the scanner of the Income Tax department once again, with a fresh notice of Rs 1,700 crore served for discrepancies in tax returns for the years 2017-18 to 2020-21. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh, during a press conference on Friday, accused the BJP of engaging in ‘tax terrorism’ to financially cripple the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

BJP Accused of Violating Tax Laws

Congress leader Ajay Maken further accused the BJP of being in serious violation of tax laws, stating that the I-T department should raise a demand of over Rs 4,600 crore from the ruling party. This comes in the wake of the Congress losing its appeal before the Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) and the Delhi High Court regarding the withdrawal of Rs 135 crore from its bank accounts and the search operations conducted by the I-T department, respectively.

"The BJP is using the I-T department as a tool to harass and intimidate opposition parties," Ramesh said. "This is a clear case of political vendetta and an attempt to silence dissenting voices."

Previous I-T Raids and Notices

The fresh notice of Rs 1,700 crore follows a previous notice for "unaccounted transactions" totalling Rs 523.87 crore, which was traced during I-T raids conducted prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress party had argued that these actions were "time-barred" and a "delayed action," but lost its challenge in the Delhi High Court on March 22.

"The timing of these notices and raids is highly suspicious, considering the upcoming elections," Maken said. "The BJP is using every trick in the book to weaken the opposition and maintain its grip on power."