Congress Request To Stop Action Against Its Bank Accounts Rejected

In a big setback for the Congress just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has refused to accept the party’s petition to stop the department’s action against its bank accounts. 

After the petition against the IT action was turned down on Friday, the Congress’ counsel, Vivek Tankha, appealed that the order be kept in abeyance for ten days. Sources said the party will now file an appeal in the Delhi High Court. 

On February 16, the Congress had said the Income Tax Department had frozen Rs 115 crore in its bank accounts following a tax demand of Rs 210 crore as dues and penalty for the financial year, 2018-19, which was also an election year.

Days later, Congress leader Ajay Maken had claimed that Rs 65 crore had been withdrawn by the department from three of the party’s accounts even though a petition against the claim was being heard by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. 

Repeating its charge that central agencies were being misused by the BJP, the Congress had called the tax demand “politically motivated” and said that it was timed to disrupt the party’s election preparations. The Congress had also accused the BJP government of “financial terrorism” and attempting to “cripple” its primary opposition before the elections.