New Delhi: In response to notices from IT department, Congress party is all set to stage a nationwide protest today. The party has been asked to pay over Rs 1,800 crore.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal has directed all state branches to organize protests at the headquarters of PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) and district Congress Committees on Saturday.
“Eight years of Income Tax returns of the INC have been reopened on baseless, manufactured grounds to levy patently illegal Income Tax demand orders totalling thousands of crores of rupees. This is nothing but a blatant and naked attack on the very principals of democracy,” Venugopal said in a letter addressed to party workers on Friday.
“Now in a patently illegal and undemocratic action, the Income Tax Department – has launched its next premeditated, diabolical campaign against the INC. Eight years of Income Tax returns of the INC have been reopened on baseless, manufactured grounds to levy patently illegal Income Tax Demand orders totalling thousands of crores of rupees. This is nothing but a blatant and naked attack on the very principals of democracy,” he stated in a letter.
“In light of this egregious attack on democracy and the imposition of tax terrorism on our party amidst the crucial Lok Sabha elections, All Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) are requested to hold massive public demonstrations at the State and District headquarters in their respective states tomorrow and the following day, involving senior leaders and party functionaries. Massive protest demonstrations shall be held in all constituencies, led by our party candidates. Protest demonstrations, including Mashal Juloos, shall be conducted in all districts by the District Congress Committees,” he added.
General Secretary and spokesperson of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee Swarnim Chaturvedi said the BJP-led central government is continuously attacking democracy and democratic systems in the country.
Public demonstrations will be organised by the district Congress committees at all the district headquarters of Rajasthan on Saturday, he said.
All senior leaders, office bearers, and workers of the Congress will participate, he added.
As part of a well-planned conspiracy of the central government, the bank accounts of the Congress party were frozen and now undemocratic action is being taken against it by the Income Tax Department which has asked it to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore, he said.