The Delhi Congress today declared that the party's accounts along with the Youth Congress, is frozen by the Income Tax department ahead of the upcoming polls.
Holding a press conference in Delhi party treasurer Ajay Maken stated that "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..."
"We got information yesterday that banks are not honouring the cheque we are issuing. On further investigation, we got to know that the Youth Congress bank accounts have been frozen."
"The accounts of the Congress party have also been seized. Income tax asked for Rs 210 crore recovery from Youth Congress and Congress party. The crowdfunding money in our accounts has been frozen. Just two weeks before elections, when the Opposition's accounts are frozen, it is equivalent to freezing the democracy," Maken said.
According to media reports, the Congress party learned about the freezing of the accounts yesterday. The party's lawyer Vivek Tankha said that in total four accounts have been affected. Banks have also been instructed that they should not be accepting Congress' cheques, with the frozen accounts as they are to be submitted to the IT department.
Maken questions timing of the freezing accounts
Maken claimed that in the election year of 2018-19, the party had submitted its accounts 45 days late, but freezing the accounts was an extreme measure.
The Congress leader also argued about the timing of the freezing of the account calling it a suspicious move ahead of the general elections.
The Congress leader claimed that timing of the freeze, coming just ahead of the crucial general elections, raises suspicions about the motives behind the Income Tax department's actions
After the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment, striking the electoral bonds scheme, the Congress party faced another setback with the freezing of its accounts. The electoral bonds scheme, initiated by the government in 2018 to replace cash donations and supporting transparency in political funding, was struck down by the apex court.
