Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Jitu Patwari, while talking to media persons here at the State Congress Headquarters on Monday, said that at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre, the Income Tax Department has recently issued summons to hundreds of leaders and workers of the Congress Party in the country and the state.

This action being taken by the Income Tax Department against Congress leaders is being taken by the Income Tax Department at the behest of the Central Government only to exert pressure and is motivated by political objectives. Whenever elections come, the way the BJP in power commits this is not commendable.

Patwari said that earlier also in 2019, just before the Lok Sabha elections, similar action was taken against Congress leaders by the Income Tax Department under pressure from the Central Government to achieve political objectives. Raids were conducted illegally, this action was taken This was also challenged in the court which is still pending.

The Income Tax Department could not even present the documents before the court in this court process. Similarly, now Lok Sabha elections are to be held in the near future in 2024, then the Income Tax Department has started repeating the same action at the behest of the Central Government.

Leaders and workers associated with Congress are being harassed, sometimes by giving summons and sometimes by giving notices. In the notice and summons issued by the Income Tax Department, no documents were asked from any taxpayer, only orders for their presence have been issued. Not only this, when the summons were issued, their legal replies were also presented, in which the legal reasons for issuing the summons were also sought.

Only one line order has been given by the Income Tax Department in which there is no document, but former Congress ministers, present and former MLAs have been asked to appear in the Income Tax Department office in Delhi.

Patwari also said that not a single summon or notice has been issued by the Income Tax Department to any of our former colleagues who have joined BJP today, who are ministers and MLAs in the current government. It is clear from such partisan politics that the Income Tax Department itself works like a political party with the sole aim of creating sensation and defaming political rivals before every election.

Replying to a question asked by journalists, Patwari said that I am not involved in the race for Rajya Sabha member. I stand by the dignity of one person and one post and will remain so. On the deception being done by the state government to the farmers and women, he said that the farmers will be given Rs 2700 and Rs 3100.

Government should give support prices on paddy and wheat. Whereas women will get Rs 3000 and Rs 450. Whatever the state government said in its manifesto about providing cylinders, the government should also implement it. He said that if the BJP government spends even half the effort in listening to the demands and problems of the farmers than the efforts it is making in making the movement unsuccessful, then the reality will be understood to a great extent.

BJP is pressurizing Congress people to join BJP by putting pressure on them through ED and Income Tax. At the same time, some selfish types of leaders are themselves joining BJP to save their business due to the fear of ED Income Tax.