In a sharp reaction to the Congress allegation of freezing of their bank accounts, the BJP on Saturday claimed that the grand old party didn’t comply with tax rules of the country and violated the deadline of filing income tax returns.
Addressing a joint press conference along with BJP national spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said: “All political parties get an exemption in tax… Any party cannot be discriminated against in this… But why were Congress’ accounts freezed?”
Patra said the Congress party skipped the tax return deadline and extended the deadline in 2017-18.
“The Congress Party didn’t comply with the tax rules of the country and violated the deadline of filing income tax returns. It lost the exemption for the assessment year 2018-19 as it filed income tax returns in February 2019, after the extended deadline of December 31, 2018,” he said.
“The reality is that whatever donations come to the Congress Party in 2017-18, tax is payable on them and tax has to be paid and there is a deadline for it, after which there is also an extended date,” he said.
Patra further said Congress Party has also violated the rule that no political party can receive donations beyond Rs 20,000.
“Astonishingly, despite knowing the rules, the Congress party accepted donations worth Rs 14 lakh,” he said.
Earlier on March 21, led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader Ajay Maken had held a press conference and attacked the BJP government on many issues, including the electoral bond issue and the alleged that the BJP was responsible for freezing of their bank accounts.
Advertisement
