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New Delhi: Congress party\u2019s bank accounts, including those of Youth Congress were \u201cfrozen\u201d and made inoperative by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), claimed party treasurer Ajay Maken on Friday. However, just an hour later, the party claimed that it was \u201cdefrozen\u201d by the I-T department.<\/p>\n
Congress called it a BJP government\u2019s ploy to disrupt party\u2019s election preparations by blocking its funds but the \u201crevelation\u201d by tax authorities on Congress tax liability has cleared the air about the entire \u201caccount freeze\u201d row.<\/p>\n
Sources in the I-T department termed it a \u201croutine recovery measure\u201d, the tax authorities said that recovery made by withdrawing money from accounts is a \u201croutine recovery measure\u201d and the Congress accounts were \u2018neither blocked nor stopped\u2019. Also, the party has many more accounts for its activities,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
Congress owes an outstanding balance of about Rs 135 crore for the financial year 2018-19 and this includes demand of Rs 103 crore on account of assessment and interest of Rs 32 crore (approximately).<\/p>\n
As per the I-T sources privy to information on Congress tax liability, recovery to the tune of Rs 115 crore has been effected by withdrawing money from various bank accounts of INC.<\/p>\n
\u201cINC was requested to pay 20 per cent of the total demand (i.e. Rs. 21 crore approx.) as per extant procedure. An amount of Rs 78 lakh only was paid. Since INC failed to pay 20 per cent of the outstanding demand, letter was issued asking it to pay the balance demand of Rs 104 crore. The appeal filed by INC before CIT (A) was later dismissed,\u201d the I-T department further said in a statement.<\/p>\n
(IANS)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n