Congress Plea To Keep I-T Division Motion In opposition to Its Financial institution Accounts Rejected

In a significant setback to the Congress get together forward of the Lok Sabha polls, the Revenue Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on Friday rejected the get together’s plea towards the Revenue Tax Division’s motion towards its financial institution accounts.

Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha, representing Congress, had requested a 10-day suspension of the order to permit the Indian Nationwide Congress (INC) to strategy the Excessive Courtroom. The bench, nevertheless, turned down the request, stating that no such provision or plea had been offered to them.

Sources knowledgeable that Congress intends to problem the tax tribunal’s resolution by shifting to the Excessive Courtroom.

The keep utility was linked to the Revenue Tax Division’s demand of Rs 210 crore, issued in reference to the earnings tax return for the yr 2018-19. The Congress claims that this transfer is politically motivated and strategically timed to disrupt the get together’s election preparations.

On February 16, Congress chief and treasurer Ajay Maken claimed that the Revenue Tax division had frozen 4 financial institution accounts belonging to the get together and the Youth Congress.

Responding to those claims, the Revenue Tax division knowledgeable the Tribunal that it had not frozen the Congress’s financial institution accounts however had solely requested a lien on the quantity primarily based on an earlier demand. Subsequently, Congress chief Vivek Tankha acknowledged that the get together’s financial institution accounts have been unfrozen by the IT Appellate Tribunal after the get together filed an enchantment.

The problem traces again to 2018-19 when the Congress filed the Revenue Tax Return late. Because of the evaluation, a requirement of ₹103 crore was raised, and delays in fee led to elevated curiosity.