Indian Democracy Under Fire: Congress Party’s Bank Accounts Suspended Before National Elections

Former Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that because its accounts are blocked, the party cannot run an effective campaign.

TFD – The Congress party in India faces obstacles as its bank accounts are suspended, raising concerns about democracy ahead of the national elections.

The primary opposition political party in India, the Congress party, charged on Thursday that the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was undermining democracy and destroying the party by suspending its bank accounts over a tax dispute in front of the upcoming national elections.

A six-week general election in India is scheduled to begin on April 19, and most polls indicate that Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party will win.

Former Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that because its accounts are blocked, the party cannot run an effective campaign. He said to reporters, “We can’t support our workers, and our candidates and leaders can’t travel by air or train.”

“The prime minister and the home minister have committed a crime against the Congress party.” It is untrue to say that India is a democracy. India does not currently practice democracy,” he declared.

The Congress party’s bank accounts were largely stopped, according to the BJP, because it neglected to file an income tax return for financial donations it received in 2017–18, losing the tax exemption that political parties are entitled to. The BJP refuted the charges.

Ajay Maken, the treasurer of the Congress party, announced in a statement that the party had received donations totaling 1.9 billion rupees, or $24 million, in 2017–18. He said that on February 13, income tax authorities “virtually sealed” its bank accounts by imposing a 2.1 billion rupee ($25 million) lien, after which they seized 1.1 billion rupees ($14 million).

The Congress party, according to BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda, is accusing Indian democracy and institutions because it fears a “historic defeat” in the upcoming elections.

Following its rejection by tax appeal officials, the Congress party’s challenge is set to be heard by India’s Supreme Court early in the next month, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad informed reporters.

The largest democracy in the world, India, will hold seven phases of voting, with each state holding its own polling period. The results will be made public on June 4.