Unhappy with the Income Tax Department for sending notices to Durga Puja committees of Kolkata, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday attacked Narendra Modi Government for “exploiting Hindu sentiments during elections on the one hand while imposing income tax on Durga Puja committees.”
Condemning the “dirty move” a fuming Chief Minister said, “Durga Pujas are organised by collecting subscription from the people or in some cases by getting sponsorships,” reminding, both the people who give subscription and the sponsors pay their income tax and GST respectively.
“They (BJP) are two-faced people who use Hindutva to divide the people and win elections but when it comes to Durga Puja which is so close to the heart of the Bengali people they impose tax. This is disgusting. Durga Puja is both a religious and social function and not a commercial event that you have to impose income tax on it. The Government which claims to be a people’s government has a social obligation towards such cultural events.”
According to sources the I-T Department has summoned or in the process of summoning about 104 Durga Puja committees from Kolkata with their income tax files.
Incidentally most number of Durga Puja committees are controlled by the Trinamool Congress leaders including Ministers and people’s representatives. The Bengal ruling outfit is apprehensive of these committees going into the hands of the BJP which too is trying to enter the Durga Puja scenario in a big way so as to acquire toehold in the clubs and local areas dominated by these committees, sources said.
“They will call the organisers, browbeat them and get them to side with the BJP,” a TMC MLA from South Kolkata said adding he would never submit to the arm-twisting tactic of the BJP. “These people (BJP) are capturing EVMs, MLAs, MPs one by one and now they are trying to capture Durga Pujas even,” she said.
Standing firmly by the Puja committees the Chief Minister said “festivals are festivals. Durga Puja is one of those festivals which has drawn global attention and excitement. Nowadays the people from all over the country and the world visit Kolkata and take part in the festivities.” Circuitously attacking the BJP for spending crores in the elections but not getting the expenditure taxed Banerjee wondered why “some parties which spend hundreds of crores of rupees to win the elections do not pay income tax,” ruing “the Durga Pujas which are the biggest festival of Bengal are being taxed like this. The people of Bengal will not take it lying down.”
The champions of Hinduism were insulting one of the biggest festivals of the Hindus, Banerjee said reminding how her Government had honoured is social obligation by paying an honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the community Durga Pujas last year.