'Alibi for its imminent defeat': BJP's retort to Cong's accusations of bank account freezing

The BJP on Thursday (March 21) rejected the Congress' criticism of the government's freezing of its bank accounts, labelling it as the opposition party's "desperate" effort to establish an excuse for its anticipated loss in the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused former Congress president Rahul Gandhi of lying on the issue and also targeted Sonia Gandhi, saying both of them shamed Indian democracy globally with their "irresponsible" comments.

Income tax

Prasad said the Congress did not file income tax returns in time, leading to the freezing of its accounts.

The opposition party did not get any judicial relief and has now gone to the Supreme Court, he said, accusing Congress leaders of lying over the issue. He said the Congress was even pulled up by high court over the issue.

"We wish the Congress well and our gentle advice to the party is the more you allow Rahul Gandhi to speak the more ground you lose," Prasad said.

'Comical'

If people don't want to vote for the Congress, the BJP cannot help it, he said.

Meanwhile, BJP chief J P Nadda on Thursday dismissed the Congress' talk of financial helplessness as "comical", and said the party can use the money accumulated from "all the scams" that took place during its rule for electioneering.

The BJP's reaction came after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi demanded that the party be given access to its bank accounts to ensure a level playing field for the Lok Sabha polls and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making a systematic effort to cripple the party financially.

Nadda takes a potshot

In a post on X, Nadda said the Congress is "conveniently blaming" its irrelevance on financial troubles' while in reality, their bankruptcy is "moral and intellectual, not financial".

Congress is going to be totally rejected by the people and fearing a historic defeat, their top leadership addressed a press conference and ranted against Indian democracy and institutions. They are conveniently blaming their irrelevance on ‘financial troubles’. In reality, their…

— Jagat Prakash Nadda (Modi Ka Parivar) (@JPNadda) March 21, 2024

"The Congress is going to be totally rejected by the people and fearing a historic defeat, their top leadership addressed a press conference and ranted against Indian democracy and institutions," he said Instead of correcting their own errors, the Congress is blaming authorities for their troubles. Be it the ITAT or the Delhi High Court, they have asked the Congress to comply with the rules, pay the taxes due but the party never did so, Nadda said.

"For a party which has looted from every sector, in every state and at every moment of history, to talk of financial helplessness is comical. Congress can use the money accumulated from all their scams starting from jeep to chopper scam via Bofors for their electioneering," the BJP chief said.

"Congress part time leaders say India being a democracy is a lie- may I humbly remind them that India was not a democracy only for a few months between 1975 and 1977 and that time the Prime Minister of India was none other than Indira Gandhi," the BJP chief added.

(With agency inputs)