Income Tax Dept sends notice to Communist Party of India over dues of Rs 11 crore
After Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI) received a notice of Rs 11 crore dues from the Income Tax Department on Friday (Mar 29), ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections.
FollowNew Delhi: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has reportedly been served a notice by the income-tax department, demanding payment of "dues" amounting to Rs 11 crore. This demand stems from the alleged use of an outdated PAN card during the filing of tax returns over recent years. The sources stated the Left is seeking legal counsel to challenge the tax authorities' notification.
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According to the sources, the "dues" owed to the Income Tax department encompass penalties and interest charges resulting from discrepancies related to the utilization of an outdated PAN card by the Communist Party of India (CPI).
The development comes after the IT department sent notice of over Rs 1,700 crore to the Congress party. The notice, encompassing penalty and interest, spans the assessment years from 2017-18 to 2020-21. Â
Congress spokespersons disclosed the issuance of the fresh demand, underscoring the party's distress at the eleventh hour before the crucial national elections. Vivek Tankha, a prominent lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP representing Congress confirmed the receipt of the notices and affirmed the party's intention to pursue legal recourse. Tankha criticized the Income Tax Department's actions as undemocratic and unreasonable.
Earlier, the tax department had already recovered Rs 135 crore from Congress's bank accounts in Delhi, pertaining to tax arrears and interests for the assessment year 2018-19, during which the party was denied exemption due to non-compliance with prescribed conditions.
Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale has similarly disclosed receiving 11 such notices in the last 72 hours.Â
These developments have sparked accusations from the Congress, alleging that the BJP-led Centre is attempting to weaken the opposition ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
