Cong skipped tax return deadline: Sambit Patra on bank account freezing

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra accused the Congress on Saturday of not complying with income tax rules, leading to the freezing of their bank accounts.

Reacting to the Congress' allegation over the 'freezing' of its bank accounts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, "All political parties get an exemption in tax. Any party cannot be discriminated against in this. But why were Congress' accounts 'frozen'? The Congress party skipped the tax return deadline and extended deadline in 2017-18."

He further stated that the Congress not only missed the extended deadline for filing tax returns but also exceeded the limit for cash donations.

"In 2017-18, the Congress broke two rules. It missed the extended deadline and exceeded the limit of cash donations. Under Rule 13A, it is clearly mentioned that if these rules are not complied with, the provision for exemptions will be withdrawn. So, in the nomenclature of income tax, the Congress party is defined as an 'association of persons,' and it would be subjected to normal tax liability," Patra said at a press conference on Saturday.

The BJP leader noted that all parties receive some exemption in taxes under the provisions of the Constitution.

"All political parties, under the rules of Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, are granted an exemption in tax. This is a constitutional provision in India. No parties are discriminated against. The Congress, BJP, and TMC are treated the same," he explained.

Explaining why the Congress' accounts were frozen, Patra pointed out that the Congress had missed the extended deadline for paying their tax returns for 2017-18 by December 2018 and paid their taxes only in February 2019.

"Why were Congress' accounts frozen? The assessment for FY 2017-18 was evaluated in 2018-19. The tax had to be collected on the Congress party's business, donations of 2017-18, which had to be paid within the tax return deadline. There is also an extended deadline, and if we do not pay taxes within that date, we have to pay a penalty," the senior BJP leader explained.

"The Congress party had an extended deadline of December 31, 2018, to pay their tax return. But the Congress party did not comply with this. They paid their tax return in February 2019," Patra further clarified.

Patra also highlighted that the Congress party exceeded the stipulated limit of cash donations and received donations worth Rs 14 lakhs in cash.

"Secondly, any political party cannot accept cash donations of more than Rs 20,000. But when the Congress party's accounts for 2017-18 were assessed in 2018-19, it was found that they had not complied with this rule. Astonishingly, despite knowing the rules, the Congress had accepted a cash donation of Rs 14 lakhs," Patra said.

The Congress alleged on Thursday that the BJP froze its bank accounts ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, making it difficult for them to prepare for the elections.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi alleged on Thursday that there is a "systematic effort" underway by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "cripple" the Indian National Congress financially, calling it "unprecedented and undemocratic."