Indian Government Freezes Bank Accounts of Opposition Before General Election

The Indian National Congress has stated that their bank accounts have been frozen by the federal tax authorities, casting doubt over the fairness of the upcoming general election.

The Indian general election is expected to take place in the coming weeks, with the current administration facing criticism for alleged arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders and activists, as well as cracking down on opposition parties in general.

Last month, Harsh Mander, previously Chief Minister of Jharkand State, was arrested immediately after his resignation from his post. He has claimed that the charges brought against him are politically motivated, as he is among other Indian opposition who have been arrested in recent weeks, along with people such as Hemant Soren.

The bank accounts of the Indian National Congress were unfrozen temporarily and access was restored to the party, but the government has been accused of uprooting democracy in the country.

The accounts are under investigation by the tax authorities over tax returns submitted from the 2018-2019 period, with a hearing scheduled on Wednesday.

Supporters of the party gathered last Friday in Delhi to protest the government’s actions. The Congress party has faced continuous setbacks as a result of government action. One such instance was the jail sentence handed to Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi. He was convicted of defamation, however this has been criticized as being politically motivated, as this came with his disqualification from being a lawmaker.

He was later reinstated as a lawmaker after the Indian Supreme Court ruled in his favor.