'BJP Stealing Our Money From Banks': Congress Amid Income Tax Row

The Congress party on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of stealing money from its bank accounts after the Income Tax Department deducted Rs 65.89 crore from AICC, Indian Youth Congress and NSUI accounts. Reacting on the I-T Department’s move, Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the grand old party never subjected the saffron camp to such treatment when it was in power.

“They (BJP) are stealing our money from the banks. We also ruled this country. If any such instance BJP can point out that they had this type of experience during the Congress-led UPA government or Congress government,” Venugopal said.

The BJP has never given any income tax as a political party, the Congress leader added, stating that the income tax deduction was an attack on the democratic principles and values.

“And they’re trying to shut the voice of India’s opposition…This is clearly an example of dictatorship,” he said.

Launching an attack on the BJP, Venugopal said, “As per the latest information from the banks, the BJP government forced the banks to transfer approximately Rs 65.89 crores from our deposits to the government. This amount is from AICC and Indian Youth Congress account and NSUI. Unlike the BJP, we got this money from ordinary workers of the party. Just before the parliament elections, the account of the principal Opposition party has been hijacked by the BJP government.”

Congress Challenges I-T Dept

The Congress on Wednesday appealed before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) alleging that the tax department “undemocratically” withdrew over Rs 65 crore from its accounts in different banks. Notably, the main bank accounts of the Congress were frozen over an Income Tax demand of Rs 210 crore on February 16.

“Yesterday, the Income Tax Department mandated banks to transfer over ₹ 65 crores from Indian National Congress, Indian Youth Congress, and National Students’ Union of India accounts to the government – ₹ 5 crore from IYC and NSUI, and ₹ 60.25 crores from INC, marking a concerning move by the BJP government,” Congress leader Ajay Maken wrote on X.

The Congress hit out at the BJP and called the tax notices “politically motivated” and “strategically timed to disrupt election preparations”. Maken called them a “disturbing blow to the democratic process”.