"...Anndataon ka apmaan has been the strategy of PM Modi": Jairam Ramesh

Addressing a press conference here today, Jairam Ramesh said that ED, CBI and IT are not in the hands of Congress so it is not right to allege us.

"Chanda dataon ka samman aur anndataon ka apmaan', has been the strategy of PM Modi. I want to say to the Home Minister that ED, CBI, and I-T are not in the hands of Congress but the BJP, so it's not right to allege us. In 2016 it was 'Notebandi' now in 2024 it's Khaatabandi', in 2019, it was the Balakot air strike and now in 2024, it is a surgical strike against Congress. The money that people have given us through crowdfunding even that we can't use as our accounts have been frozen," he said.

"This is tax terrorism," he added.

Meanwhile, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) earlier dismissed the plea moved by the Congress Party which sought a stay against Income Tax Department proceedings of recovery and freezing of their Bank accounts and said the Stay Application is without merit.

ITAT bench of GS Pannu, Vice President and Anubhav Sharma, Judicial Member on Friday passed the order and said, "We do not find that the recovery notice under Section 226(3) of the Act issued by the Assessing Officer on February 13, 2024 is lacking in bona fides, so as to require us to intervene."

The Congress has recently approached the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) against the recovery and has filed a complaint and sought a stay against Income Tax Department proceedings of recovery and freezing of their Bank accounts.

In the complaint, Congress said the Income Tax Department has enforced its law by encashing some of the balances lying with the banks without waiting for the outcome of the hearing scheduled before the bench. Congress appealed that the department should not proceed further till the disposal of the stay application. (ANI)