AMN / NEW DELHI
The Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) Chairman and the Revenue Secretary met the Election Commission here today to explain the ongoing income tax raids. CBDT Chairman P C Mody and Revenue Secretary A B Pandey were summoned by the Commission to explain the raids amidst allegations by the Opposition that the ruling BJP was using enforcement agencies to target it ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier, the Election Commission had advised all the enforcement agencies working under the administrative control of the Department of Revenue that their actions should be absolutely neutral, impartial and non discriminatory.
The Congress party has alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was using enforcement agencies to target the opposition during election season.
On Sunday, the Election Commission had advised the Finance Ministry to ensure that the actions by enforcement agencies should be ‘neutral’ and ‘non-discriminatory’. The poll regulator also asked the Finance Ministry to keep it in the loop about all such actions.
Meanwhile, in its response to EC, the Finance Ministry has reportedly said that the enforcement actions are ‘neutral’, ‘impartial’ and ‘non-discriminatory’ irrespective of political affiliation- news agency PTI reported.
The Income Tax department has, over the past few days carried out raids across Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In what the department calls ‘widespread and well-organised’ racket of a collection of unaccounted cash, the IT department seized Rs 281 crore during raids on close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and others. They have also recovered Rs 14.6 crore unaccounted cash and diaries and computers files of alleged transactions between MP and Delhi.