BJP misusing agencies to subvert democracy, belittle Constitution: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led Centre on March 29 of misusing institutions like the income-tax department, ED and CBI to subvert democracy and belittle the Constitution, and asked why is the I-T department being used as a weapon to harass the principal opposition party.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led Centre on March 29 of misusing institutions like the income-tax department, ED and CBI to subvert democracy and belittle the Constitution, and asked why is the I-T department being used as a weapon to harass the principal opposition party.

He asserted that such actions would not deter the Congress from contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and vowed that his party will free the country's institutions from the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "dictatorship".

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also hit out at the BJP, accusing it of indulging in "tax terrorism".

"When the government changes, action will definitely be taken against those who have 'disrobed democracy'. And such exemplary action will be taken that no one will dare to do all this again. This is my guarantee," Mr. Gandhi said in a post on X.

He also tagged a previous video of his and used the hashtag "#BJPTaxTerrorism" with his post.

Mr. Kharge said a penalty of ₹4,600 crore has been "overlooked" for the BJP's ₹42-crore unaccounted deposits, while a penalty of ₹135 crore is being demanded for the Congress's ₹14 lakh cash deposits by MLAs and MPs.

"Who is pressurising the Income Tax department to act in this unjustified manner only against the opposition? Why is the IT department being allowed to be used as a weapon to harass the principal opposition party - Congress! They are misusing institutions like IT, ED, CBI to subvert democracy and belittle the Constitution," he alleged in a post on X.