The Earnings Tax Appellate Tribunal on Friday dismissed the Congress get together’s attraction towards imposition of penalty for discrepancies in tax returns for earlier years and mentioned it was exploring all authorized choices and can transfer the excessive courtroom towards it very quickly.
Sources mentioned the tribunal had dismissed the attraction of the Congress for imposition of penalties of Rs 210 crore by the Earnings Tax division right here on Friday.
“The BJP authorities has intentionally chosen the timing of this to coincide with nationwide elections,” Maken instructed PTI.
He mentioned the I-T tribunal order freezing Congress’s funds is “an assault on democracy” because it has come simply forward of nationwide elections.
“How can one anticipate honest elections in such a scenario when funds to the tune of Rs 270 crore have been freezed or taken away by the Earnings Tax authorities from Congress get together’s accounts,” he requested.
Confirming the order, Congress’ authorized cell head Vivek Tankha mentioned the Tribunal has not even adopted its personal previous precedents on this regard and the get together might be approaching the Excessive Court docket quickly.
“We’re dissatisfied with the Earnings Tax Appellate Tribunal order. We might be transferring the Excessive Court docket very quickly. They haven’t adopted their very own previous precedents in granting aid on fee of 20 p.c penalty and that too to a nationwide get together which is now on the verge of contesting nationwide elections, which goes to be notified quickly,” Tankha instructed PTI.
He appeared earlier than the tribunal on behalf of the get together interesting towards the I-T authorities order imposing penalty value Rs 210 crore for alleged discrepancies in I-T returns for earlier years.
The Congress had earlier termed the Earnings Tax authorities’ choice as “tax terrorism” coming forward of common elections solely to cripple the funds of the principal opposition get together.
The Congress had earlier alleged that the Earnings Tax division has “withdrawn” a sum of Rs 65 crore from its accounts in several banks “undemocratically” and claimed that it has freezed one other Rs 205 crore of its funds.
Maken claimed that “democracy might be over within the nation if the motion of probe companies goes unchecked” and mentioned the Congress has full religion within the judiciary.
First Printed: Mar 08 2024 | 7:35 PM IST
