New Delhi:

The Congress right this moment confronted a short lived hurdle after the Revenue Tax division froze its primary financial institution accounts, together with these of the Youth Congress. Nonetheless, the get together swiftly challenged the transfer, and the Revenue Tax Appellate Tribunal granted aid by de-freezing the accounts till a ultimate listening to subsequent week.

The Congress issued a clarification stating that the get together is remitted to make sure that a sum of Rs 115 crore must be maintained of their financial institution accounts. The quantity has to stay untouched in compliance with the directive from the tax authorities, implying a freeze on these funds. 

“Which means that Rs 115 crore have been frozen. This Rs 115 crore is far more than we now have in our present accounts,” the Congress mentioned. 

#DemocracyFrozen

On our petition, Revenue Tax Division and the Revenue Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has mentioned that we now have to make sure that Rs 115 crores must be saved within the Banks. This 115 crore is the lien marked within the Financial institution Accounts.

We are able to spend an quantity over and above…

— Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) February 16, 2024

In a press convention earlier right this moment, get together treasurer Ajay Maken described the transfer as a “disturbing blow to the democratic course of”. The freeze reportedly stems from a tax demand of Rs 210 crore raised by the Revenue Tax division, a transfer that the Congress claims is politically motivated and strategically timed to disrupt the get together’s election preparations.

“Democracy would not exist; this is sort of a one-rule get together, and the principal opposition get together has been subjugated. We search justice from the judiciary, media, and the folks,” Mr Maken mentioned. 

The Congress chief mentioned that the get together has taken authorized motion in response to the freeze, with the matter at present earlier than the earnings tax appellate tribunal. In a press convention, Mr Maken defined that they selected to not disclose the data earlier because the listening to is pending.

The get together discovered in regards to the freezing of its accounts yesterday, and the get together’s lawyer Vivek Tankha mentioned {that a} whole of 4 accounts have been affected. Banks have been instructed to not settle for or honour Congress’ cheques, with the frozen funds to be submitted to the Revenue Tax division.

Mr Maken claimed that within the election 12 months of 2018-19, the get together submitted its accounts 45 days late, however freezing the accounts is an excessive measure. He argued that there have been circumstances and precedents the place such actions weren’t taken.

“We’ve got given the names of all MLAs and MPs who’ve contributed, based mostly on the Manmohan Singh committee report,” Mr Maken said.

The Congress chief claimed that timing of the freeze, coming simply forward of the essential normal elections, raises suspicions in regards to the motives behind the Revenue Tax division’s actions

“Proper now, we now have no cash to spend. Electrical energy payments, employees salaries, our Nyay yatra, the whole lot is impacted. Have a look at the timing; that is clear,” he mentioned. “We’ve got just one PAN, and the 4 accounts are all linked.”

Occasion president Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his apprehension, stating, “Intoxicated with energy, the Modi authorities has frozen the accounts of the nation’s largest opposition get together – the Indian Nationwide Congress – simply earlier than the Lok Sabha elections. It is a deep blow to democracy.”

सत्ता के नशे में चूर, मोदी सरकार ने लोक सभा चुनाव के ठीक पहले देश की सबसे बड़ी विपक्षी पार्टी – भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस – के Accounts Frozen कर दिए है।

ये लोकतंत्र पर गहरा आघात है।

भाजपा ने जो असंवैधानिक धन इकट्ठा किया है, उसका इस्तेमाल वे चुनाव में करेंगे, लेकिन हमने…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 16, 2024

“The unconstitutional cash that BJP has collected will probably be used within the elections, however the cash we now have collected by means of crowdfunding will probably be sealed. That’s the reason we now have mentioned that there will probably be no elections sooner or later! We attraction to the judiciary to save lots of the multi-party system on this nation and safe India’s democracy. We are going to take to the streets and struggle strongly towards this injustice and dictatorship,” he added, in a put up on X. 

This growth comes on the heels of the Supreme Court docket, in a landmark judgment, hanging down the electoral bonds scheme. The electoral bonds scheme, launched by the federal government on January 2, 2018, was seen as an answer to switch money donations and improve transparency in political funding.