‘I-T dept should demand Rs 4,600 cr from BJP’: Congress on Rs 1,800 cr tax notice 

The Congress party, on Friday, reacting to the Income Tax department notice of Rs 1,823.08 crore, accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in ‘tax terrorism’. They said that the I-T department should demand over Rs 4,600 crore from the saffron party for similar violations. 

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and party treasurer Ajay Maken said that the BJP plan is to financially cripple the opposition party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Maken said that BJP is in serious violation of I-T laws and that the I-T department should demand more than Rs 4,600 crore from BJP.

Congress said BJP collected Rs 8,200 crore through the electoral bonds ‘scam’ and used the route of "pre-paid, post-paid, post-raid bribes and shell companies". 

"Efforts are being made to financially cripple the Congress, but we are not going to be cowed down," Ramesh said, adding that the campaign will continue and the party will take its guarantees across to the people of the country.  "We will not be scared of these notices. We will be more aggressive and fight these polls," he said.

"The law is on our side, we have no doubt about it, but by the time we get relief, elections will be over," Maken added.

Maken said that the Congress and like-minded opposition parties are being targeted by the I-T department, which is BJP’s frontal organisation. He said the I-T department has launched a premeditated, diabolical campaign against the Congress by reopening matters of old returns on baseless grounds.

Congress plans to approach the Supreme Court soon over the I-T department's demands, Maken said. 

When asked how much the party would be left with to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024 after the tax demands, Maken said, "You think there will be anything left after this?"