In a veiled dig at the BJP dispensation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the “Asura Shakti’’ has frozen the bank accounts of his party and they are fighting against it.

The BJP also hit back at the Congress saying that by calling the elected government “Asura Shakti’’ it has shown that it has no faith in the people of the country.

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“The hate-filled ‘Asura Shakti’ has frozen our bank accounts to murder Indian democracy,” Gandhi wrote in a social media post in an apparent attack on the government.

The MP further said they are fighting against the “hatred-filled Asura Shakti”.

Earlier, while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, in presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi said, “All our bank accounts have been frozen. This has been done two months before the election campaign.”

“One notice (from Income Tax) comes from the 90s and the other from six to seven years ago. Quantum amount Rs 14 lakh and punishment our entire financial identity. Already our ability to fight elections has been damaged. We have already lost a month,” he said.

The parliamentarian said, “There are institutions in the country that are supposed to protect the democratic framework. However, no court is saying anything , the Election Commission is silent, no other institution is speaking out and the media is not addressing the issue.”

“This is not the freezing of the Indian National Congress’ bank accounts. This is the freezing of Indian democracy,” he added.

Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, BJP leader Nalin Kohli said, “By calling a government elected by the people ‘Asura Shatkti’, the Congress is confirming that they have no faith in the people of India, the voters, those who determine the destiny of India.”

It may be mentioned that the Congress MP stoked a controversy recently over his “Shakti’’ remarks. The BJP on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against him stating that it has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Hindu.

Gandhi, in his comments made on Sunday in Maharashtra, said, “There is a word ‘Shakti’ (might) in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti (might of the state). The question is, what is that Shakti and what does it entail for us? The soul and integrity of EVMs have been traded to the King (Modi). This is a fact. Not just EVMs but every autonomous institution of the country, be it the ED, CBI or Income Tax department, have traded their spines to the Centre.”