NEW DELHI: The Indian National Congress has said that its bank accounts have been frozen, just weeks ahead of the general elections.
Congress treasurer Ajay Maken speaking to media today said the banks are not honouring the cheques the party is issuing. He said, “All the accounts of the country’s main opposition party including of Indian Youth Congress have been frozen by the IT department”.
Describing the move as a disturbing blow to the democratic process, Maken said, “Democracy doesn’t exist; this is like a one-rule party, and the principal opposition party has been subjugated”.
He went on to say: “This is equivalent to freezing the democracy. Democracy has completely ended in India”. He urged the judiciary to intervene and save democracy. “Right now we don’t have any money to spend, to pay electricity bills, to pay salaries to our employees. Everything will be impacted” he added.
Maken also announced that the Congress will take to the streets and organise a widespread agitation over this matter.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge that the move to freeze the accounts of the country’s largest Opposition party just before the Lok Sabha elections is a deep assault on Indian democracy. In a post on X, he said, “Intoxicated with power, the Modi government has frozen the accounts of the country’s largest opposition party – the Indian National Congress – just before the Lok Sabha elections. This is a deep assault on India’s’ democracy.”
Reacting to the development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Narendra Modi government was behind the IT department’s action. “Don’t be afraid Modi ji, Congress is not about the power of money but of people. We have never bowed down before dictatorship, nor will we ever bow down. Every Congress worker will fight tooth and nail to protect India’s democracy,” he wrote on X.
