Just 3-4 Accounts Of Congress Attached By I-T Dept, 'Not Frozen': BJP Alleges Misleading Statements

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that the Congress possesses fixed assets worth Rs 500 crore, stating that only three to four of its accounts have been attached for non-payment of tax.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the Congress party of making misleading statements regarding its bank accounts, stating that only three to four of its accounts have been attached for non-payment of tax dues, not frozen, as claimed by the opposition.

According to BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, the attached bank accounts remain operational, allowing transactions except for a sum of Rs 125 crore, which has been attached by the Income Tax department due to non-payment of dues. "These bank accounts have not been frozen, they are operational. You (Congress) can deposit money in these accounts and withdraw too, except Rs 125 crore, which has been attached by the Income Tax department due to the non-payment of dues as per Income Tax rules," Sambit Patra said, as per news agency PTI.

Additionally, Patra claimed that the Congress possesses fixed assets worth Rs 500 crore. He referred to media reports suggesting that the Congress holds approximately Rs 1,000 crore across multiple bank accounts, opened with multiple PAN numbers, allegedly violating its own party constitution.

Patra criticised senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent statement that the party lacked funds even to purchase train tickets following the freezing of its accounts and remarked, "Rahul Gandhi is saying there is no money with the Congress to even buy train tickets while he is seen travelling by chartered plane every day". He demanded a technical explanation from Rahul Gandhi instead of a political one.

"Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi held a press conference in this connection and took anticipatory bail from the people's court by making wrong arguments in support of their claims seeing their imminent and miserable defeat in the Lok Sabha elections," he said, as per PTI.

Responding to Congress' allegations of being deprived of a level playing field in the elections, Patra likened the situation to one where both police and dacoits demand the same. He asserted that seeking a level-playing field in the realm of corruption is untenable and listed various alleged scams that took place during Congress' rule.

"You want a level-playing field while playing in the field of corruption. This is not possible... The one who has committed the corruption will run and the other will chase to catch him," he said.

"You (Congress) talk about level playing field. You should play on the pitch of development," he added. 

Congress Allegations On Bank Account 'Freeze'

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress leadership highlighted its financial challenges, calling for immediate access to its frozen bank accounts to ensure a fair electoral process. Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to cripple the party's finances.

Speaking at a rare press conference on Thursday, Sonia Gandhi criticised the impact of electoral bonds, alleging disproportionate benefits for the BJP while subjecting the principal opposition party to financial hardship. She described the situation as unprecedented and warned of dire consequences for democracy in India.

The Congress leaders claimed that Rs 210 crore had been marked as lien in their frozen accounts, citing notices from the Income Tax department for various financial irregularities dating back to 1994-95. Kharge labelled the BJP's actions as a dangerous game with significant ramifications, urging the courts to uphold the rule of law.

Kharge emphasised the importance of a level playing field in elections, asserting that constitutional institutions should ensure free and fair polls by allowing the Congress to operate its bank accounts without hindrance. Rahul Gandhi criticised the government for impeding the party's campaign activities, stating that the freezing of accounts has severely hampered its ability to contest elections effectively. He called for the immediate release of the frozen accounts to safeguard democracy and uphold the Constitution.