BJP steamrolling democracy to dictatorship: O Ibobi
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, March 22 2024:
Casting aspersions over the BJP-led government making all-out efforts to transform democratic form of government in the country to a dictatorship regime, Congress Legislative Party leader and former chief minister 0 Ibobi said time has come for the people of Manipur to decide whether or not to let the autocratic BJP continue to rule the people.
Addressing media persons in connection with freezing of the bank account of All India Congress Committee, at Congress Bhawan, here on Friday, O Ibobi said that freezing account of a political party with elections round the corner, is the first of its kind and very unfortunate.
The act has been deliberately done against the Congress as the BJP fears suffering loss in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Further maintaining that the BJP feels intimidated by the Congress as could be comprehended from freezing account of the party, Ibobi lamented that if such acts persist, democratic essence and form of government which the country is proud of will eventually cease to exist and ultimately give rise to dictatorship.
The act of the BJP led government is a clear indication to completely uproot democracy from India and to nurture dictatorship, he maintained.
Chipping in, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Keisham Meghachandra said that freezing the account of AICC by the Income Tax Department is an attempt to derail activities of the Congress.
The amount which is available in the account of AICC has been donated by the MLAs, MPs and the public due to their love and loyalty to the party.
All donations made by the public is exempted from income tax, he added.
Conceding that ahead of the ensuing elections Congress party is in a tight situation, financially, Meghachandra said: "We are in such a situation that our legs and hands are being tightened" .
Accusing the BJP-led government of instructing the Income Tax Department to freeze around Rs 285 crore donated and contributed by grassroots-level workers, the members of parliaments, and members of Legislative assemblies as party funds for fighting elections and other expenditures, he also stated that the INC bank accounts have been frozen in all the 11 bank branches where the Congress has its accounts.
He claimed Congress is being hemmed in despite having paid Rs 115 crore to the Income Tax department for a penalty on late returns filing in Assessment Year 2018-19 .
Stating that the BJP alone rules the roosts in the forthcoming battles of ballots, K Meghachandra, who is also a sitting MLA of Wangkhem assembly constituency, condemned the acts of the ruling government.