Within hours since Congress Treasurer Ajay Maken made a big claim of the party's bank accounts being frozen by the Income Tax Department, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal de-froze the accounts on Friday, said the party lawyer and leader Vivek Tankha.
This development comes as, in a major setback right ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, Congress today announced that the Income Tax Department had frozen party's bank accounts, including those of the Youth Congress.
It wass speculated that the move stemmed from the Income Tax department's tax demand of ₹ 210 crore.
What did the party treasurer say?
According to Congress treasurer Ajay Maken, the act of freezing bank accounts is a 'disturbing blow to the democratic process'.
"All the accounts of the country's main opposition party have been frozen. The account of the Indian National Congress has been locked. These Congress Party accounts have not been frozen, our country's democracy has been frozen", Maken told reporters.
Maken claimed that earlier, in the election year of 2018-19, the party submitted its accounts 45 days late, but freezing the accounts is an extreme measure.
"Democracy doesn't exist; this is like a one-rule party, and the principal opposition party has been subjugated. We seek justice from the judiciary, media, and the people," he further added.
Further emphasising the inconvenience caused by the Income Tax Department's drastic move, Maken said, "Right now, we have no money to spend. Electricity bills, staff salaries, our Nyay yatra, everything is impacted. Look at the timing; this is clear," he said. "We have only one PAN, and the four accounts are all linked."
Maken also said that the party has resorted to legal action in response to the freeze. As per media reports, Congress learned about the freezing of its accounts on Thursday.
According to Congress' lawyer Vivek Tankha, a total of four accounts have been affected. Banks have been instructed not to accept or honour Congress' cheques, with the frozen funds to be submitted to the Income Tax department.
