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Accusing the Income Tax Department of double-standards, Congress on Friday alleged that while it has been penalised for "a violation of Rs 14 lakh", the income tax authorities were completely silent on "Rs 42 crore violation" by the BJP and that the violations by the ruling party at the Centre entailed a penalty of Rs 4,600 crore.
Addressing a press conference, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken said there was an attempt to stifle the party financially during the Lok Sabha polls. Maken said the Election Commission should ensure a level-playing field. "We have received notices from the time of Sitaram Kesari, from 1993-94... We have been demanded to pay Rs 53 crores from the time of Sitaram Kesari. A total of Rs 1823 crores has been made by the IT department from Congress," he said. "We have analysed all violations of the BJP using the same parameters they used to analyse our violations... BJP has a penalty of Rs 4600 crore. The income Tax department should raise a demand from the BJP for the payment of this amount," he added. Maken said that efforts are being made to weaken the Congress financially, by freezing the party's bank account before the Lok Sabha elections. "Our analysis reveals that out of the 1,297 individuals who donated to the BJP, their identities remain undisclosed with no addresses or evidence of contribution totalling Rs 42 crore, indicating a blatant breach of regulations. Additionally, there are 92 individuals whose names are absent from the list but they provided electoral bonds to the BJP," he said. The Congress leaders also attacked the BJP over the electoral bond scheme. Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of "hypocrisy" and its government of resorting to "tax terrorism". "Through the electoral bond scam, the BJP collected over Rs 8,200 crore as donation. There were different routes, there was a prepaid bribe route, there was post-paid bribe route, there was post raid group 'chanda-dhandha, raid-paid', and there was a shell company route," he alleged. Party leader KC Venugopal accused the Election Commission of being a mute spectator. "Notice, account freeze, notice, account freeze. That is the BJP's modus operandi of stifling INC financially. In a new bizarre notice, a penalty of Rs. 1800 crore has been imposed on INC.Is this how a fair election is supposed to be conducted? Is the idea of a level playing field only on paper? Why is the Election Commission a mute spectator to this?" he asked. "If the same treatment was meted out to the BJP, they should have to pay Rs. 4600 crore. But has there been any action on them? Have any of the authorities involved moved an inch against them? This is a blatant murder of democracy and we will protest across the country against this illegal action," he added. (ANI)
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