Cong slams Centre over frozen bank accounts, BJP hits back
Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Rajesh Thakur on Sunday appealed to people to help the party face the financial crisis following the freezing of its State Bank of India (SBI) account.
“If you do not support democracy, you cannot survive,” Thakur said, addressing a press conference at the party’s state headquarters on Shradhanand Road in the heart of the state capital.
Explaining the financial crisis, he said that during election time, several expenses have to be borne by parties for advertisements, booth expenditures, and other allied work. “Without funds, we will have problems managing all these things,” he said.
Earlier, Thakur said the party’s account was frozen in a seven-year-old case of the Income Tax department.
“The timing chosen to freeze the account suggests that it is an attempt to harass Congress after the announcement of parliamentary elections,” he said.
“During the day, the Union government freezes the Congress party’s bank account, and
during night hours, it arrests the democratically elected Delhi chief minister,” he added.
Thakur said: “The penalty amount, which was just ₹14.4 lakh seven years ago, rose to ₹210 crore in seven years. After the huge amount was not paid, the account was frozen.”
Thakur also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being unfair.
“While the Congress party’s account was frozen due to nonpayment of penalty, there is no discussion on the collection of donations through electoral bonds by BJP, which collected donations for work assignment to companies and other entities.”
“Between 2018 and 2024, the BJP received ₹8,252 crore out of ₹16,518 crore donations donated to political parties through electoral bonds. The Congress party got only ₹1,950 crore, and this too has been frozen. Whereas BJP is free to spend its loot,” he alleged.
In response to Thakur’s press conference, BJP vice president and Bhawnathpur legislator Bhanu Pratap Shahi, in a joint press conference with party spokesperson Raiya Naz, said that the party is playing “the victim card”.
“The Income Tax rules are equal for every citizen and organization of India. Congress is a scam party. When its scams are caught, it has started making false statements and has attempted to put the central government, BJP, and the Income Tax department in the dock, but is unable to come to the court and present any argument for the defence,” Shahi said.
Shahi said the Income Tax department has only banned the use of the outstanding tax amount of ₹115 crore of Congress due to it being a defaulter and has not frozen the bank account.
“Rahul Gandhi is travelling in a chartered plane and is saying that Congress does not even have money to travel by train,” he said.
Shahi said despite being aware of all the provisions, Congress took cash donations
of ₹14 lakh and, despite having an outstanding tax of ₹105 crore, deposited only ₹2.5 crore. Congress did not hold any press conference at that time that injustice was being done to us because Congress agreed that the income tax of ₹105 crore was legitimate.
He said that Congress knocked on the door of every court and tribunal in the Income Tax case but had to face defeat everywhere.
On the issue of funds collected through electoral bonds, Shahi said that the “matter is subjudice before the constitution bench of five judges,” and “it will not be proper to make any comment.”
However, Shahi said, there is nothing unusual if a ₹19 crore member gets ₹6,000 crore out of ₹20,000 crore collected through electoral bonds while the INDIA bloc gets ₹14,000 crore through the bond despite having 200 MPs across the country.
“Congress is making a hue and cry seeing its definite defeat in the election,” he said.
On Congress accusing the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) of being partial in taking action, Shahi pointed out that he is on bail in a case being probed by the agency.