Congress party heaved a sigh of relief after the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal granted temporary relief and de-froze the party’s bank accounts on Friday. The Tribunal has scheduled the matter for hearing on Wednesday.
Congress party Treasurer Ajay Maken told presspersons on Friday morning that the Income Tax department has frozen its key bank accounts and has demanded Rs 210 crore for recovery. Maken told presspersons that all its political activities have been impacted. “Just two weeks before elections, when the opposition's accounts are frozen, it is equivalent to freezing the democracy,” Maken charged.
“Right now we don't have any money to spend, to pay electricity bills, to pay salaries to our employees. Everything will be impacted, not only Nyay Yatra but all political activities will be impacted,” ANI reported quoting Maken.
Party leader Vivek Tankha, who appeared before the tribunal against the order, said the party was now allowed to operate its bank accounts. Tankha said he told the tribunal that the Congress would not be able to participate in the "festival of elections" in case its accounts remain frozen.
Maken tweeted, “On our petition, Income Tax Department and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has said that we have to ensure that Rs 115 crore have to be kept in the Banks. This 115 crore is the lien marked in the Bank Accounts. We can spend an amount over and above that. This means that Rs 115 crore has been frozen. This Rs 115 crore is much more than we have in our Current Accounts.”
Maken said the accounts, including that of the Indian Youth Congress, were frozen on an Income Tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-19, an election year. According to him, the party filed its Income Tax return for the concerned year a few days late and that is why this action. He said the IT authorities' orders freezing the accounts had come on Wednesday.
Slamming the Centre for its action, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Don't be afraid Modi ji, Congress is not the name of power of money but of power of people. We have never bowed down before dictatorship, nor will we ever bow down. Every Congress worker will fight tooth and nail to protect India's democracy.”
-with PTI inputs.