New Delhi
The Delhi High Court dealt a blow to the Congress on Friday by rejecting its petition challenging the tax-assessment proceedings initiated by the Income Tax (I-T) Department. Justices Yashwant Varma and Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav pronounced the order, stating, we dismiss the writ petitions.
This decision adds to the Congress recent challenges, as the party’s leadership criticized the Narendra Modi government in a press conference on Thursday, accusing it of hindering their funds and handicapping them for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sonia Gandhi, along with Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders, claimed that the party’s bank accounts were frozen by the I-T Department under the Modi government’s direction to disrupt their election campaign. They alleged that the tax authorities were scrutinizing ‘tax lapses’ dating back to Assessment Years 1994-95, during Sitaram Kesri’s presidency.
Previously, on March 20, the HC had reserved its order on the Congress’ plea against the tax re-assessment proceedings. The I-T Department had initiated ‘tax recovery’ against the Congress for the financial years 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17. Despite arguments by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Congress, the court dismissed the pleas regarding tax re-assessment for the mentioned fiscal years. Singhvi contended that the tax authorities were time-barred from such actions, but his argument did not succeed in convincing the court.
