A systematic effort is underway by the Prime Minister to cripple the Indian National Congress financially : Sonia Gandhi

Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi on March 21 accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making systematic efforts to cripple the grand-old-party financially, ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Funds collected by the Congress party from the public are being frozen and money from the party's bank accounts is being taken away forcibly, she said.

“This issue affects not just Congress, it impacts our democracy itself most fundamentally. A systematic effort is underway by the Prime Minister to cripple the Indian National Congress financially," Sonia Gandhi said during a press conference in New Delhi. She was flanked by Congress President Malikarjun Kharge and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi too.

Sonia Gandhi was referring to the Congress party's allegation that last month the Income Tax Department had frozen ₹ 115 crore in its bank accounts. Earlier this month, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal refused to take up the Congress party's petition to stop the IT department's action against its bank accounts.The seven-phase Lok Sabha Elections will begin on April 19. The results will be declared on June 4.

The Rae Bareli member of parliament said that even under the most challenging circumstances, the Congress party was doing its best to maintain the effectiveness of the election campaign.

"On one hand, there is the Electoral Bond issue which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Electoral Bonds benefitted the BJP hugely. On the other hand, the finances of the principal opposition party - the INC - are under a determined assault. This, we all believe, is unprecedented and undemocratic," Sonia said.Earlier this month, Election Commission of India released the State Bank of India-provided data on political donations made by companies and individuals through now-scrapped bonds.

The first tranche of data was released two days before the poll panel announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 scheduled to begin on April 19. Unsurprisingly, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received the lion’s share of funds - ₹ 6,986.5 crore.