Will Not Be Cowed Down: Congress Leader P Chidambaram On BJP's ‘Tax Terrorism’

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Will Not Be Cowed Down: Congress Leader P Chidambaram On BJP's ‘Tax Terrorism’

Will Not Be Cowed Down: Congress Leader P Chidambaram On BJP's ‘Tax Terrorism’

Amidst the accusations of the BJP freezing the bank accounts of Congress, party leader P Chidambaram has weighed in on the issue. Describing “tax terrorism” as attempts made by the ruling BJP to cripple the opposition party, the former Finance Minister stated that the party will not be defeated by such actions.

P. Chidambaram took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and reaffirmed the accusations of the BJP freezing the accounts of the grand old party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. He stated that the “pseudo efforts” and “gimmicky tactics” are being undertaken by the saffron party to harm Congress. However, he clarifies that the party was “not going to be cowed down” against the BJP.

Putting faith in the people, the Congress leader said that the party believes in the citizens of the country to respond accordingly to the BJP through their vote. “We believe that the people of this country will give all their answers to the BJP in the upcoming election,” he said.

Mr. Chidambaram also shared a photo mocking the BJP, which stated the benefits of joining the party: freedom from raids, a certificate of “saaf aur shared insaan (clean and honest person),” access to government contracts, and a BJP ticket as a welcome gift.

The Rajya Sabha MP also stated that while the ruling party was backed by funds from friends, the I-T department “conveniently targets the Congress with yet another demand of Rs 1800 crores,” highlighting Rs 8,250 crore the BJP mopped up through electoral bonds.

Accusing the BJP of being involved in a multi-thousand crore scandal while other parties are slapped with hefty tax demands, Mr. Chidambaram stated, “Democracy demands transparency and fairness, not Tax Terrorism.”

On Friday, the Income Tax Department served a notice of Rs 1,800 crore to Congress. The income tax notice covers assessment years 2017–18 to 2020–21, including penalties and interest. The notice comes amidst the already cash-strapped party as the Income Tax authorities slammed the party with a penalty of Rs 200 crore and frozen the bank accounts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.