Seers threaten agitation over Income Tax notice, write to Nirmala Sitharaman

The Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti has slammed the Income Tax notices served to various akharas and ashrams in Uttar Pradesh and threatened agitation if action is not taken against the officials responsible for the notices.

The samiti has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding action against the officials.

The I-T Department had issued notices to 13 akharas and three ashrams for allegedly not furnishing details of how they spent the money given to them by the state government during the Kumbh Mela of 2019. 

The samiti, however, termed the notices as a conspiracy to defame Hindu Dharma and Hindu Dharmacharyas. 

The government had allocated money to the akharas and maths to develop lodging facilities and kitchens for their members during the Kumbh.

Swami Jeetendranand Saraswati, general secretary, Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, said the akharas and seers had nothing to do with the fund.

“Certain work was done by the joint efforts of the state government and centre during Kumbh 2019, in Prayagraj, so that pilgrims may live there comfortably. At that time, the UP government had done some work in 13 akharas and major mutts to add facilities to ensure comfortable living to the pilgrims during their visit to the Kumbh. The Jal Nigam was the executing agency for this work and the UP government or centre provided the fund for it,” he said, reported IANS.

“As an Indian citizen, it is our duty to give an account of the fund which we receive. But how can seers give an account of the fund which they never received?” he asked while warning that the seer community will take to the streets if no action is taken against the officials who issued the notice.