In a significant escalation of political tensions, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi accused the central government of stifling the Congress party’s ability to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by freezing its accounts. During a press conference, which also saw the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi claimed this move represented an attack on the democratic fabric of India.
“This is not just about the Congress party’s bank accounts being frozen; it is an attack on Indian democracy itself,” Rahul Gandhi stated, emphasizing the dire implications of such actions on the principal opposition party’s operational capabilities. He described the situation as a deliberate attempt to hamper Congress’s election campaign, highlighting the receipt of financial scrutiny notices dating back decades as pretext for the account freezes.
Rahul Gandhi did not mince words in attributing blame directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, labeling the actions as “criminal” against the Congress party. “The notion that India remains a democracy is a lie. There’s a systematic campaign to cripple us financially, undermining the democratic process,” he added, stressing the severe limitations imposed on the party’s campaigning efforts.
Echoing Rahul Gandhi’s sentiments, Sonia Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of engaging in a “systematic effort” to financially disable the Congress, thereby endangering democracy itself. She argued that fair electoral competition is compromised when governmental power is used to control media narratives and manipulate autonomous institutions like the IT department, ED, and Election Commission.
The controversy stems from the Income Tax Department’s decision to seize four primary bank accounts of the Congress party over an income tax demand of ₹210 crore for the fiscal year 2018-19. Despite appealing to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and subsequently the Delhi High Court, the Congress’s efforts to unfreeze its accounts have thus far been unsuccessful.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge emphasized the essential nature of a fair and level playing field in democracy, which he asserts is currently being undermined by the ruling government’s actions.
The unfolding scenario has sparked widespread debate over the health of democracy in India, with the Congress leadership vowing to fight what they perceive as unjust and politically motivated financial scrutiny.
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