The Congress has multiple bank accounts and just three-four of them have been attached, “not frozen”, for non-payment of tax dues, the BJP said Saturday, accusing the opposition party of making misleading statements on the issue sensing its “imminent” defeat in the Lok Sabha poll.
“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,” BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Referring to media reports, he said the Congress has about Rs 1,000 crore in its multiple bank accounts, opened with “multiple PAN” numbers in “violation of its own party constitution”. The Congress also has a fixed asset of worth Rs 500 crore, the BJP leader claimed.
He said the Income Tax Department has attached three-four bank accounts of the Congress due to the non-payment of outstanding Rs 135 crore as per rules.
He slammed senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his claim that the party doesn’t have funds to even book train tickets following the freezing of its accounts.
“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,” the BJP leader charged and demanded the Congress leader give a “technical answer, instead of political” on the issue.
“(Congress president) Mallikarjun Kharge, (former Congress president) 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,” Patra told a press conference at the party headquarters here.
Mr Patra also slammed the Congress for accusing the Modi government of depriving it of a level-playing field in the elections by “crippling” its finances.
“How come police and dacoits would have the same level-playing field,” Mr Patra said, taking a swipe at the main opposition party.
“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,” the BJP spokesperson said, and listed the various alleged scam that took place during its rule.
“You (Congress) talk about level-playing field. You should play on the pitch of development,” he added.
