Election Commission rebukes the revenue department for taking its advisory over the Income-tax raids on the parties as “casual and trivial.” The government’s revenue department has been censured by the EC. The Election Commission had advised the investigation and enforcement agencies under the Finance ministry to carry out the raids in “absolutely neutral, non-discriminatory, and impartial” ways. However, the opposition leader alleged that the leaders of their parties are targeted and no such actions are being taken against the ruling party.
EC mentioned the probe agencies under the administrative control of the ministry’s department of revenue, saying that in case of the suspected use of illicit money for the electoral purposes, the Chief Electoral Officer should be informed while the Model Code of Conduct is in effect.
In response to the EC’s rebuke, the Revenue Department called for the poll body to take strict actions against the people who are using unaccounted money for the electoral purposes. The revenue department advised EC to “check and eventually eliminate the use of unaccounted money.” The revenue Department took a stronghold on EC and accused that EC should take strict steps and advise its field officers to take immediate enforcement action against them.
The EC thus replied to the election Body saying, “The EC has noted the tone and tenor used for addressing the Constitutional authority in stark violation of the established protocol.” The Commission said that after the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and during the time of elections, Election Commission is granted extraordinary powers. The poll body supersedes the powers of all the government bodies.
The following development came when the leaders of opposition parties moved to EC alleging the politically motivated Income Tax Department raids at their residences. The opposition alleged that the Enforcement agencies are working at the behest of the ruling party and thus losing the credibility of the upcoming elections.
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