Congress says four of its main bank accounts frozen by IT department, 'our political plans hit'

 The accounts were frozen on flimsy grounds, on an Income Tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-19, an election year, party treasurer Ajay Maken said

PTI, New Delhi, 16.02.24 : The Income Tax department has frozen the Congress' four main bank accounts on "flimsy grounds", party treasurer Ajay Maken claimed on Friday and alleged that democracy was in danger in the country.

This has affected all political activity of the party, Maken said at a press conference. Sources later said nine accounts had been frozen.

The accounts were frozen on an Income Tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-19, an election year, Maken said.

"For the first time in the country's history, accounts of the principal Opposition party have been frozen by the tax authorities on flimsy grounds, barely two weeks before the announcement of general elections," Maken told reporters.

He appealed to the judiciary to save democracy as it was in danger and said the country is headed towards one-party democracy.

Maken said the party has already appealed to the Income Tax appellate authority.

“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,” he added. The leader also announced that the Congress will “take to the streets” and organise a widespread agitation over this matter.

The press conference comes a day after the Supreme Court struck down the Narendra Modi government’s 2018 electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, said that changes made in the laws to implement the scheme were “unconstitutional.” It also stressed that “the information about funding to a political party is essential for a voter to exercise their freedom to vote in an effective manner”.