New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of CPI (M), has alleged that his party's bank account has been frozen. Earlier, the Income Tax Department had taken significant action against the Congress party, freezing its bank account. Following this, top leaders of the Congress - Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi - held a joint press conference to criticize the government's actions. Now, the CPI(M) has also reported freezing of its bank accounts.

Sitaram Yechury stated, "Today, our district secretary in Thrissur received a notice instructing them to visit the bank with the passbook. No explanation was provided. Utilizing their authority, they issued an order to the manager. The Bank of India informed us that no transactions will be permitted in the CPI(M) account unless we grant permission. This indicates that the account has been frozen. This is a politically motivated attack. We are exploring the possibility of taking legal action."

Following the Income Tax Department's actions, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi recently informed reporters in New Delhi that the party's campaigning efforts have been hindered due to the frozen accounts. Rahul emphasized, "We lack the funds necessary for campaigning, and we cannot financially support our candidates. Our ability to participate in the elections is being compromised." Last month, the Income Tax Department issued another notice to the Congress amounting to Rs 1,745 crore. Consequently, the total notices issued to the Congress by the Income Tax Department now stand at Rs 3,567 crore.

In response, the BJP countered the Congress's allegations, asserting that the Congress possesses multiple bank accounts, and only a few of them have been attached, not "frozen," due to outstanding tax payments. The BJP accused the opposition party of issuing misleading statements on the matter. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra clarified, "These bank accounts have not been frozen; they are operational. You (Congress) can deposit and withdraw funds from these accounts, except for Rs 125 crore, which has been seized by the Income Tax Department owing to outstanding dues."

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