after-congress-1823-cr-notice-karnataka-dy-cm-shivakumar-also-gets-an-it-notice-alleges-bjp-of-political-targeting

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President DK Shivakumar launched a scathing attack on the BJP over an income tax notice issued on Saturday, alleging that the ruling government was targeting the opposition.

 

Exuding confidence in winning the Lok Sabha polls, Shivakumar stated that the INDIA Alliance is poised to defeat the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), indicating the BJP's apprehension of this outcome.

 

Shivakumar emphasised the importance of democracy and the rule of law, criticising the BJP government for directing officials to take actions against the opposition. He portrayed the targeting of the opposition, including the Congress and the INDIA Alliance, as a sign of BJP's fear of electoral defeat.

 

Shivakumar disclosed that he also received an income tax notice for a resolved matter, insinuating a pattern of intimidation by the ruling party. In a development adding to the Congress's challenges amid the Lok Sabha campaign, the Income Tax Department reportedly issued a demand notice of approximately Rs 1700 crore to the party, covering assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21, inclusive of penalties and interest.

 

This notice comes after the Delhi High Court dismissed the Congress's plea challenging the reopening of reassessment proceedings by the Income Tax Department for multiple fiscal years.

 

The Division Bench of the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal of the Congress's plea regarding reassessment proceedings, similar to earlier judgments. Additionally, the Court upheld the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal's order refusing to stay the recovery of over Rs 105 crore in outstanding taxes against the Congress, allowing the party to approach the appellate tribunal afresh with grievances.

 

In response to the income tax proceedings, the Congress has sought relief from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, filing a complaint and requesting a stay on the department's recovery actions and freezing of their bank accounts. This move underscores the Congress's ongoing legal battle against the income tax notices and its efforts to challenge the perceived targeting by the ruling party.

 

Through his statements, Shivakumar positions the income tax notices as politically motivated attempts to stifle opposition voices, while the Congress's legal manoeuvres reflect its determination to counter these challenges ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.