Main Opposition Party’s Accounts Temporarily Restored
New Delhi CNN — The Indian National Congress, India’s main opposition party, announced on Friday that its bank accounts had been frozen by federal tax authorities, just weeks before the upcoming nationwide election. The move drew widespread criticism from the Congress and its allies, who accused the government of an attack on democracy.
Congress Treasurer Ajay Maken revealed in a news conference that the accounts were frozen after an investigation into the party’s income tax returns for the 2018-19 financial year. Maken stated that the Income Tax Department issued a payment demand of 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) in connection to the ongoing probe. He emphasized, “The Congress party’s bank accounts haven’t been frozen. It’s the democracy that has been frozen.”
Later on Friday, an income tax tribunal granted the party temporary access to its accounts ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, according to lawyer and Congress lawmaker Vivek Tankha.
Allegations of Democracy Attack
The Congress party’s supporters gathered in Delhi’s iconic Jantar Mantar area to protest the action while party chief Mallikarjun Kharge called on the judiciary to “save the multi-party system in this country and protect India’s Democracy.” Allies of the Congress party have consistently claimed that democracy is being stifled in India. This latest case is part of a series of investigations targeting prominent opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a scion of a political dynasty that produced three prime ministers, was disqualified as a lawmaker last year and was handed a two-year jail sentence for defamation in a ruling his supporters say was politically motivated. However, Gandhi was later reinstated as a lawmaker following an intervention from India’s Supreme Court. Gandhi pledged on Friday that his party will “fight tooth and nail” to protect India’s democracy, stating, “We have never bowed down before dictatorship, nor will we ever bow down.”
Challenges for the Congress Party
The Congress party, once a formidable force in Indian politics, has struggled in the polls since Modi rose to power a decade ago with promises of economic growth and a prosperous society for all. In an attempt to unseat Modi’s BJP in the upcoming election, the Congress Party tried to form an alliance of opposition groups. However, cracks are already emerging in this alliance as support for the BJP surges just weeks before an estimated 900 million Indians are expected to head to the polls.
Indian Election and Current Tensions
The Indian election, often called the world’s largest experiment in democracy, comes at a crucial time for the country as it gains prominence on the world stage. Modi presents himself as a statesman who is cementing India as a modern superpower. However, tensions are high within the country, with minorities feeling sidelined under the BJP’s majoritarian Hindu nationalist policies.
In recent regional elections in key states in December, the Congress Party lost three out of four votes, providing a boost to Modi and the BJP. The situation is still developing, and further updates will follow.