The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Congress party has accused the BJP-led government of autocratic behavior and engaging in “extortion and financial terrorism”. Senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken, and Jairam Ramesh, in a joint press conference, claimed that the government forced banks to transfer about Rs 65.89 crore from Congress’s bank deposits. This action took place despite an Income Tax Appellate Tribunal’s lien on the accounts.
Maken highlighted the Modi government’s discomfort with the Supreme Court’s strictures on the electoral bonds scheme. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the Modi government aims to siphon off funds donated to Congress, while intimidating corporate firms through agencies like ED, CBI, and IT for donations.
KC Venugopal pointed out that the seized funds include donations from ordinary party workers and members. He accused the BJP of hijacking the principal opposition party’s account ahead of the general elections, labeling it a blatant attack on democratic principles.
Maken further claimed that Income Tax Department officials, under duress, transferred Congress party’s funds to the IT department, despite a lien indicating no transactions should occur. He criticized the imposition of a Rs 210 crore penalty over a Rs 14.49 lakh cash deposit by Congress MPs and MLAs from their salaries. He questioned if the BJP has ever paid any tax or penalty.
Jairam Ramesh referred to this incident as a repeat strategy of the BJP, drawing parallels to demonetization’s timing ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections. He suggested that the government’s motive is to financially cripple the Congress in light of the upcoming elections, fearing the impact of events like the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and public discontent over unemployment and farmer issues.
This confrontation highlights a deepening rift between the two major political parties in India, with the Congress accusing the ruling BJP of using state machinery to undermine its financial stability and democratic functioning.