Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today promised the party will take exemplary action against those who have destroyed democracy - "when the government changes" - after the party received a ₹ 1,800 crore income tax notice which it called "tax terrorism".
The fresh tax notice is for the assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21, and includes penalty and interest.
"When the government changes, action will definitely be taken against those who are destroying democracy. And the action will be taken in such a manner that no one will have the courage to do all this again. This is my guarantee," Mr Gandhi said in a post on X.
With the Income Tax authorities freezing its funds and imposing a penalty of ₹ 200 crore, the Congress is already in a financial bind. The high court has not provided it with any relief. Only a few weeks before the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is probably going to the Supreme Court next.
Mr. Gandhi claimed that the BJP is in charge of central agencies like the income tax. The Congress is getting ready to launch an extensive legal battle to overturn the tax requests. Ajay Maken, the leader of the Congress party, stated that since the BJP has received donations from hundreds of people in recent years, their income tax has to be computed as well.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh asked the tax department to make a demand of ₹ 4,617.58 crore from the BJP, telling reporters that the party is also seriously in violation of income tax norms.
Political parties must complete Form 24A, according to Congress Treasurer Ajay Maken, which requires them to provide two crucial pieces of information: the names and addresses of their donors.
"We have analysed all the submissions of the BJP to the Election Commission. The party has faltered every year," Mr Maken alleged.
Mr Ramesh alleged the BJP has collected ₹ 8,200 crore through the "electoral bonds scam" by using "prepaid, postpaid, post-raid bribes and shell companies".
"Efforts are being made to financially cripple the Congress, but we are not going to be cowed down," Mr Ramesh said.

The mayday call made by the 22 Indian-origin crew members aboard the ship "Dali" after it struck a Baltimore bridge has been praised by US President Joe Biden for averting additional losses.
At approximately 1:30 am local time on March 26, the container ship Dali struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River as a result of the catastrophic damage caused by the incident.

But, the 22 crew members on board the ship sent out a "mayday" call to local authorities informing them that they had lost power, and as a result, all traffic on the bridge was halted in time.

Authorities responded quickly to the container ship's "mayday" call before to the collision, which resulted in the evacuation of people from the bridge. It is said that this prompt intervention may have saved lives.

Six workers from a nocturnal construction crew on the bridge, however, are missing and thought to be killed. There is still search going on to find their bodies.

"Personnel onboard the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel. As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives," Biden said during his comments at the White House.

The Synergy Marine Group reports that all 22 crew members—including the two pilots—are safe.

Two of the eight workers from a construction crew that was patching potholes on the bridge made it out alive. Regretfully, there are now six people missing. The search for them is scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning.

Moore stated that the container ship had lost power prior to the accident, even if the precise cause of the crash is still unknown.Authorities from both the federal and state levels have indicated that the situation is probably an accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day visit to Bhutan on Saturday, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of areas, by inaugurating a ₹140-crore hospital for women and children built in Thimphu with Indian aid.
After receiving Bhutan's highest accolade, the Order of Druk Gyalpo, on Friday, Modi also declared that India would increase its funding for the neighboring country's five-year plan from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore. The action was taken in the context of China's coordinated attempts to build diplomatic relations with Bhutan and resolve a border issue.
Modern medical facility Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, constructed in Thimphu with Indian government support, was opened by Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay.\
The 150-bed hospital was developed in two stages with funding from the Indian government. Operating since 2019, the first phase was constructed at an expense of ₹22 crore. In line with Bhutan's 12th five-year plan, the second phase's 119 crore construction got underway in 2019 and was just finished.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated in a statement that the facility will raise the standard of mother and child health care in Bhutan. It has state-of-the-art facilities for pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, anesthesiology, operation theatre, neonatal intensive care, and pediatric intensive care.
The external affairs ministry described the hospital as a “shining example of India-Bhutan partnership in healthcare”.
“Inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, which offers quality healthcare as a beacon of hope for several families. This facility embodies a commitment to nurturing a healthy future generation,” Modi said in a post on X.
As a special gesture, Modi was seen off at the airport by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Tobgay. “I am honored by the special gesture by His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, of coming to the airport as I leave for Delhi. This has been an extraordinary Bhutan visit,” Modi said in another post on X.