Congress Alleges BJP’s Embezzlement of Funds from National Banks Amid Income Tax Dispute
The politician remarked that the Congress never subjected the BJP to such treatment during its tenure at the Centre.
In New Delhi, on Thursday, party leader KC Venugopal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of pilfering funds from the Congress’s bank accounts in response to the Income Tax department’s deduction of ₹65.89 crore from AICC, Indian Youth Congress, and NSUI accounts.
The politician remarked that during its tenure at the Centre, the Congress never imposed such actions on the BJP.
“They (BJP) are siphoning off our funds from the banks…We too governed this nation. If the BJP can cite any similar occurrence during the Congress-led UPA government or Congress administration,” he stated.
KC Venugopal remarked that the BJP has never paid income tax as a political party. He asserted that the deduction of income tax amounted to an assault on democratic principles and values.
“And their attempt is to silence the opposition in India… This unmistakably exemplifies dictatorship,” he stated.
KC Venugopal highlighted that unlike the BJP, the Congress acquired these funds from the party’s workers.
“According to recent updates from the banks, the BJP government compelled banks to transfer around ₹65.89 crores from our deposits to the government’s coffers. This sum originates from the accounts of AICC, Indian Youth Congress, and NSUI. In contrast to the BJP, these funds were contributed by ordinary party workers…Just ahead of the parliamentary elections, the account belonging to the main opposition party has been commandeered by the BJP government,” he further stated.
On Wednesday, Congress leader Ajay Maken posted on his X account stating that neither the BJP nor the Congress pays income tax, yet his party is confronted with a tax demand of ₹210 crore.
The Congress has filed an appeal with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) regarding the retrieval of the overdue tax.
On Wednesday, the department informed the court that the Congress had breached regulations, leading to its classification as an ordinary taxpayer.
Additionally, it stated that the party was endeavoring to construct a misleading narrative suggesting that “they are being singled out prior to the general elections.”
The previous week, the Congress stated that it lacks funds to settle its invoices following the freezing of its accounts by the income tax department on unsubstantiated allegations.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge denounced the Modi Government as “power drunk” for freezing the accounts of the country’s largest opposition party, the Indian National Congress, mere days before the Lok Sabha elections. He characterized this action as a severe attack on India’s democracy.
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