Nagaland Congress stages protest over freezing of party accounts

DIMAPUR — Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Monday staged a silent protest outside the office of Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Dimapur as part of the nationwide protest against the freezing of All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Indian Youth Congress (IYC) bank accounts by the Income Tax Department.

The main bank accounts of the Congress party were frozen on Friday over an income tax demand of INR 210 crore before it receive relief from an I-T appellate tribunal, which allowed it to operate the bank accounts pending a further hearing on the matter next week.

The NPCC president, S Supongmeren Jamir, claimed that the IT department resorted to freezing the party’s bank accounts in view of the upcoming parliamentary election which is only a few months away.

Claiming that the “Modi government is afraid of the congress activities in the country,” he said the Centre is trying to suppress the activities of the AICC as well as the youth congress.

Addressing the media persons at the protest site, Jamir asserted that the IT department’s activities are killing democracy in the country.

“When the Congress is humbly trying to build upon the framed rights of the constitution in the country and establish a democracy, the BJP government is against it,” he claimed.

Accusing the BJP of trying to suppress the Congress party’s activities and supporting the RSS, he alleged that it would consequently affect Nagaland, citing the neighbouring state of Assam, which he alleged is depriving minorities of their rights.

Jamir said that the party is protesting to show its solidarity with the AICC and Indian Youth Congress, and at the same time send out the message that the Income Tax department’s activities are unconstitutional.

NPCC to file candidate for Lok Sabha polls

Meanwhile, the Nagaland Congress president said that the NPCC would definitely file a candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, to defend the rights of the people and to protect democracy.

He said the Congress wants to protect the Christians and minorities in Nagaland by keeping the RSS out of the state, adding that the Hindu nationalist group would employ ‘divide and rule’ policy if it is establishes it base in Nagaland.