Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Spanish Parliament has overwhelmingly voted in favor of legislation banning arms sales to "Israel"
Syrian leadership approved the return of spy Eli Cohen's archive to "Israel": Reuters citing sources
Government Media Office in Gaza: The [Israeli] policy of starvation has led to more than 300 cases of miscarriage among pregnant women during the same 80-day period
Government Media Office in Gaza: The [Israeli] policy of starvation has resulted in the deaths of 326 people due to malnutrition and the lack of food and medicine over the past 80 days
UN says no aid distributed yet in Gaza
EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas asks for a review of EU-"Israel" trade deal
Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from 'full-scale civil war'
Sweden seeks EU sanctions targeting "individual Israeli ministers": Minister to AFP
UK pauses trade deal talks with "Israel", summons ambassador over new Gaza offensive
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 67 martyrs in Israeli strikes on Gaza since morning.

Indian opposition party accuses Modi of depriving it of election funds

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Mar 2024 14:03
3 Min Read

The leader of the Indian National Congress party says a lack of finances has made it "helpless" as the elections loom. 

  • x
  • Indian opposition party says Modi deprived it of election funds
    India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 7, 2023. (AFP)

On Thursday, the opposition in India stated that the government's action of freezing its bank accounts has deprived it of funds to compete against the well-financed ruling party in the upcoming April 19 lengthy general elections, where almost one billion and more Indian citizens are eligible for voting.
 
"Our entire financial identity has been erased," said Indian National Congress party member Rahul Gandhi, 53, whose family has dominated national politics since independence. 

"We have no money to campaign, we cannot support our candidates. Our ability to fight elections has been damaged," he added. 

Last February, Indian authorities froze several of the party's accounts for alleged late filing of tax returns.

Read more: 'Islamophobic' citizenship law sparks controversy in India

The Congress party claimed that the actions taken by the tax department are politically motivated, aimed at preventing it from posing a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); a right-wing Hindu nationalist party.
 
"Last week, we received another notice from the tax authorities that dates back to our filings from 1995-96," Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi, stressing "We don't even have money to print publicity material."

Read more: India and 'Israel': From distant parties to close allies

Not speaking up

In a rare public appearance, former Congress chief and Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi, 77, said the tax penalty was "part of the systemic efforts to cripple" the party. 

The primary financial investigation agency in the country, the Enforcement Directorate, has initiated investigations into the affairs of at least five state chief ministers or their families, all of whom are political opponents of Modi's BJP.
 
Rahul criticized "institutions which are supposed to protect the framework of democracy" for not speaking up, placing the blame on the Election Commission for not intervening. 
 
"There is no democracy in India today," he said.

Read more: India neither steering away from US, nor toward Russia: Reuters

Leader of the Indian National Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, said the lack of finances made it "helpless" as the elections loom. 
 
"There is no level playing field," he said.

The latest official figures revealed that the BJP funds are tenfold those of the Congress party.

The gap between political parties, particularly the BJP and its opponents, widened significantly after the Modi government introduced electoral bonds in 2017. These bonds allowed for unlimited anonymous donations to political parties, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in political funding.

Last month, the Supreme Court of India declared the electoral bond scheme unconstitutional and ordered that details of donors and recipients be made public. This decision was a significant step towards greater transparency in political funding.

The released details revealed that the BJP was the single-largest beneficiary of these donations, receiving nearly half of all donations amounting to around $730 million.

Read more: India to double military presence on western sector of China border

  • Mallikarjun Kharge
  • Rahul Gandhi
  • India
  • Narendra Modi
  • Indian National Congress
  • Bharatiya Janata Party

Most Read

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

  • Politics
  • 15 May 2025
Two F-35 jets arrive at it's new operational base Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. (AP)

F-35 near-misses over Yemen signal new risks for 'Israel': Forbes

  • Politics
  • 14 May 2025
Abu Obaida

Abu Obeida posts shortly after Israeli reports about his assassination

  • Palestine
  • 15 May 2025
YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben-Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

  • MENA
  • 18 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
Gulf investments quietly boosted Elon Musk and family fortunes
US & Canada

Gulf investments quietly boosted Elon Musk and family fortunes

A 3D render of China's planned 'drone mothership' Credit: X/@XH_Lee23
US & Canada

China unveils drone mothership capable of swarm attacks

Relatives of Venezuelan migrants deported by the US to a Salvadoran prison protested outside the UN building in Caracas on April 9, 2025 (AP)
US & Canada

At least 50 migrants deported to El Salvador prison entered US legally

A city bus goes by the historic city of Santiago, Spain during a major power outage across Spain and Portugal on April, 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
Europe

Spain hit by major phone network outage weeks after nation blackout

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS