New Delhi: Congress Party attacked the central government over freezing of bank accounts of the Congress Party on March 21, 2024, at the AICC Headquarters. In the press conference, leaders including Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi and Congress Treasurer Shri Ajay Maken blamed BJP for the financial crisis. Congress has not been able to use ` 285 crores lying in its accounts and had also received a new notice last week pertaining to the year 1994-95. “At this rate, they will go back to Mahatma Gandhi’s time, when Jamnalal Bajaj was the treasurer, and cull out something to send us a notice about and freeze our accounts before the elections.” Other leaders who were present on the dais were General Secretary (Org.) Shri K.C. Venugopal and General Secretary Communication Shri Jairam Ramesh.

Here are the detailed Press Conference’s addresses:

‘Fair Elections’ are essential for any democracy

Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge: The General Elections for the 18th Lok Sabha have been announced. Every citizen of the country is eager to participate in it. India has been known all over the world for its democratic values and ideals.

‘Fair Elections’ are essential for any democracy, alongside the ‘Level Playing Field’ for all the political parties alike. All parties should have equal resources. The people in power should not enjoy monopoly over resources. They must not have monopoly on media. The ruling party should not have direct or indirect control over the constitutional and judicial institutions like the IT, ED and Election Commission.

Unfortunately, the facts that have come out about ‘Electoral Bonds – the election donations’ after the intervention of the Supreme Court recently are worrying. It is also shameful because it causes hurt to the image of our country. The image of fair elections and healthy democracy that our country had built in the last 70 years has been questioned.

The present ruling party has filled its own treasury with more than Rs. 6000 Crores, under the scheme of Electoral Bonds, which was termed as illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. And on the other hand, it has connivingly frozen the accounts of the main opposition Party so that we cannot contest elections at parity with them. This is a dangerous game played by the ruling party. This will have far-reaching effects. But it is clear that making a political party helpless in this manner and creating obstacles in contesting elections can never be called ‘Free and Fair Elections’. People of the country - A common citizen can see that the BJP has nabbed 56 percent from the Electoral Bonds from the party whereas the Congress has got only 11 percent and this is the same money which the BJP has taken from the Bond. Apart from this, there is no account of what amount they are getting in cash! You see their advertisement all around. Every day, newspapers, TV, Radio, Internet, huge rallies costing crores of rupees, roadshows etc. are being conducted. There are 5-star BJP offices constructed in every district of the country. Where has the money come from? Is all of this happening without money?

I do not want to say how the BJP has taken this money from the companies, because the Supreme Court is investigating the facts. We hope that the truth will be revealed to all of us very soon. In the end, I appeal to the constitutional institutions of the country that if they want ‘Free and Fair Elections’ to be conducted, then do let our Party use its bank accounts without any restriction. Whatever the claim of the Income Tax is, will finally be settled as per the decision of the court. Political parties do not pay Tax, BJP has never paid any Tax itself, yet if this is being demanded from us, then we will wait for the final decision of the court.

But the election of the 18th Lok Sabha will not be held again, therefore, to maintain the ‘Level playing field’, it is imperative that our accounts be immediately defreezed.

A systematic effort is underway by the Prime Minister to cripple the Indian National Congress financially: Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Smt. Sonia Gandhi: The issue we are taking up today is very, very serious and affects not just the Indian National Congress - it impacts our democracy itself most fundamentally. A systematic effort is underway by the Prime Minister to cripple the Indian National Congress financially. Funds collected from the public are being frozen, and money from our accounts is being taken away forcibly. However, even under these most challenging circumstances, we are doing our best to maintain the effectiveness of our election campaign.

On the one hand, there is the Electoral Bond issue, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The electoral bonds have benefitted the BJP hugely. On the other hand, the finances of the principal opposition Party, the INC, are under a determined assault. This is truly unprecedented.

No political party, including the BJP, pays Income Tax, yet the Congress Party’s 11 Bank Accounts were frozen. Why? Treasurer Shri Ajay Maken: The BJP has looted the donations given to the Congress Party by the common public by freezing our accounts and forcibly withdrawing 115.32 crores from them. No political party, including the BJP, pays Income Tax, yet the Congress Party’s 11 Bank Accounts were frozen. Why?

For a notice for FY 2017-18, lien on 210 crore was marked in our 11 accounts in 4 Banks. The reason given is, that14.49 lakh was received in cash (as donations made by our MPs to the Congress Party), out of total receipt of `199 crore. This cash component is just 0.07% of the total donations. And the punishment was 106%!

Look at the timing of Freezing our Accounts. We received the 199 crore donation in 2017-18, but after 7 years, on 13th February 2024, 210.25 crore lien was marked, our bank accounts were virtually sealed, and later,115.32 crore was forcibly confiscated.

The lien was marked in such a way, that it not only sealed Rs. 210 cr, but also prevented Congress from using its deposited amounts of Rs. 285 crores. This virtually crippled the finances of the Principal Opposition Party.

Our 11 ACCOUNTS were FREEZED. Just 3 weeks before the announcement of elections.… Why? As if this was not enough, last week we received fresh notice from the IT Department for the FY 1993-94, when Sh. Sita Ram Kesari was the Treasurer. We are being asked to calculate penal charges for the FY 1993-94 after 31 years of the assessment!!!

Modi Govt. knows that POLITICAL PARTIES do not come under the purview of INCOME TAX. Has BJP or any other political party ever paid INCOME TAX?

Modi Govt. also knows that the Congress Party will eventually get relief from the COURTS, but by then Lok Sabha elections will be over and the Principal Opposition Party of the country will remain CRIPPLED. And will not be able to CAMPAIGN.

On one hand, keep the main Opposition Party STARVED FOR FUNDS, and on the other hand, BJP has indulged in WORLD’s BIGGEST EXTORTION RACKET through the ELECTORAL BONDS SCAM, a scheme which was declared unconstitutional and illegal by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

According to the latest data made by ECI, after the Supreme Court weighed heavily on the Modi government-controlled State Bank of India, the BJP tops the list of encashing declared Electoral Bonds by a huge margin.

More than 50% of declared Electoral Bonds went to BJP. INC is a distant second with just 11% of the value of declared Electoral Bonds. BJP’s Electoral Bonds are almost 5 Times more than INC’s. Is it not true that most of the DONOR COMPANIES are those on which ED, CBI & IT raided, and BJP forcibly collected the bonds by applying government coercion.

Is it not true that in the last nine years, the BJP’s donations have increased almost tenfold, and no other party’s donations have increased that much? On top of that, there is an effort to cripple the financial resources of the Principal Opposition Party.

Is this not a violation of LEVEL PLAYING FIELD and DEMOCRACY? Modi Ji’s guarantee is only looting and corruption.

Our ability to fight the election has been damaged: Shri Rahul Gandhi

Former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi: The Congress’ financial identity was “erased” a month ago. “This has been done literally two months before the election. One notice comes from the 90s, one from six-seven years ago. Quantum amount? ` 14 lakh. And punishment? Our entire financial identity… Already, our ability to fight the election has been damaged. We have already lost a month.”

“This is a criminal action on the Congress Party and this is a criminal action done by the Prime Minister and the Home minister, it is very clear. This type of activity does not happen without them in today’s India... This has been orchestrated to cripple us in the elections. And no court is saying anything. The Election Commission isn’t saying anything. No institution is saying anything,” he claimed.