After Congress, CPI gets I-T dept notice for Rs 11-crore dues: Sources

The Congress has been alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre is trying to "cripple" the opposition in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) has received a notice from the income-tax department, asking it to pay ”dues” of Rs 11 crore for using an old PAN card while filing tax returns during the last few years, sources said on Friday. They said the Left party is consulting its lawyers to challenge the notice of the tax authorities.

The sources said the "dues" to be paid to the I-T department include penalties and interest due to authorities for "discrepancies" in the use of an old PAN card by the party. "We are seeking legal assistance and consulting our lawyers," a senior CPI leader told PTI. Earlier, the Congress said it had received I-T notices, asking the party to pay dues of more than Rs 1,823 crore for discrepancies in tax returns filed for previous years.

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale has also claimed that he has received 11 I-T notices in the last 72 hours. The Congress has been alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre is trying to "cripple" the opposition in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.