On the 16th of February 2024, Congress Treasurer Ajay Maken revealed that the Income Tax Agency had initiated the freezing of the bank accounts belonging to the Indian National Congress and Indian Youth Congress. Maken, addressing the press, expressed his concern, stating, “Democracy in India has reached a complete standstill; the accounts of the primary opposition party in the country have been subjected to freezing.”
He further elucidated that the venerable political party received notification on Thursday, informing them of the bank’s refusal to honor the checks issued by the party. Maken attributed this drastic measure to a 45-day delay in filing the Income Tax (IT) return for the fiscal year 2018–19.
A total of four accounts belonging to the Congress party have been frozen. Maken informed the public that the party, in an attempt to unfreeze its accounts, has reached out to the Income-Tax Appellate Authority (ITAT). Bemoaning the financial constraints, he revealed, “Currently, the party finds itself in a predicament, lacking the necessary funds for expenditures, bill payments, and staff salaries.”
“We lodged an appeal with the Income Tax appellate tribunal the day before yesterday, and the proceedings are currently underway. We maintain our faith in the Judiciary,” he added. Meanwhile, a journey led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, named Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, arrived in Bihar on Friday, approaching its culmination in the state before progressing to Uttar Pradesh later in the day.
Maken emphasized that it is not merely the freezing of the Congress’ account but a freezing of democracy itself. He expressed his concern during the press conference in New Delhi, stating, “With the upcoming elections just a month away, they have frozen the account of the primary Opposition party. Are we heading towards a single-party rule in the nation?”
The IT department had served the party with a demand of ₹210 crore. Maken clarified that the party’s delay in filing the 2018–19 IT reports, 40–45 days beyond the December 31, 2019 deadline, led to this predicament.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to the Judiciary to safeguard the multi-party system and “protect India’s Democracy” in a post on X (formerly Twitter), denouncing the action by the I-T department as an “assault on democracy.”
Concerning the Yatra, Maken added that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would also join the journey led by Rahul Gandhi as it entered Uttar Pradesh on Friday evening. She is set to join her brother in Chandauli after the yatra entered the state from Bihar, as per the information provided.