Congress Gets Another Rs 1,700 Crore Income Tax Notice After HC Rejects Reassessment Plea

With Lok Sabha elections around the corner, hurdles for Congress are increasing day by day. According to the reports, the Income Tax Department slapped another notice to the grand old party of Rs 1,700 crore after the Delhi High Court scrapped the plea demanding tax reassessment. The news of another notice to Congress by the Income Tax department for the assessment of financial years 2017-18 and 2020-21 was confirmed by Congress leader Vivek Tankha.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Delhi High Court rejected Congress' petition challenging tax reassessment proceedings against it for a period of four years by tax authorities.

However, Congress has been claiming the freezing of its bank accounts just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections a conspiracy done by BJP.

A few days ago, former Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi said: "The issue we are taking up today is extremely serious. The issue affects not just the Indian National Congress but the democracy itself. A systematic effort is underway by the Prime Minister to cripple the Indian National Congress financially."

"Funds collected from the public are being frozen and money from our accounts is being taken away forcibly. However, even under these most challenging circumstances, we are doing our very best to maintain the effectiveness of our election campaign," the Congress leader added.

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge called the freezing of the opposition's bank accounts a "dangerous game" and demanded a "level playing field".

"The Supreme Court called electoral bonds illegal and unconstitutional. Under that scheme, the present ruling party filled its accounts with thousands and crores of rupees. On the other hand, under a conspiracy, the bank account of the main opposition party has been frozen. So that, in the absence of funds, there is no level-playing field in contesting the elections," Kharge had said.