In a setback to the Congress party before the Lok Sabha polls, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal rejected the party’s plea against the Income Tax Department’s action on its bank accounts. The party’s senior advocate requested a 10-day suspension of the order, which was denied. Congress intends to challenge the tribunal’s decision by moving to the High Court.
The issue is linked to the Income Tax Department’s demand of Rs 210 crore in connection with the income tax return for the year 2018-19. The party’s bank accounts were reportedly frozen, but the Income Tax department stated that they had only requested a lien on the amount based on an earlier demand.
The Congress filed an appeal, and its bank accounts were subsequently unfrozen by the IT Appellate Tribunal after the party’s action. The issue arose from the Congress filing its Income Tax Return late in 2018-19, resulting in a demand of ₹103 crore and increased interest due to delayed payment.