The Indian National Congress (INC) has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of hypocrisy in light of the recent BBC Indian Languages survey that found that the country’s tax department targeted opposition leaders and their families disproportionately.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the University of Maryland, analyzed income tax data from 2004 to 2016 and found that the income of several opposition leaders and their family members was scrutinized more closely by the tax department than that of ruling party politicians.
The findings have prompted widespread criticism of the government’s handling of political opponents, with many accusing the BJP of using state institutions to silence dissent.
Congress leader Pawan Khera was particularly scathing in his criticism, stating that “India is the mother of democracy, but the Prime Minister is the father of hypocrisy.”
“When Modi ji was dreaming of becoming the prime minister of the country, then he was a dedicated follower of the same BBC,” Khera told reporters here. “Demolishing the fourth pillar of democracy has now become a mundane thing in ‘New India’. Modi ji had promised to run ‘Start Up India’, but in ‘amrit kaal’ it has become ‘Shut Up India’,” the Congress leader said.
When Prime Minister Modi’s past is exposed by the BBC, “then he uses investigation agencies as his ‘frontal organisations’ to raid an international media outlet”, he said. “This is particularly perturbing for India’s image because we are hosting the G-20 Summit and the Modi government is going gaga over it (G-20),” Khera said.
Khera ji went on to accuse the BJP of “misusing government institutions to persecute opposition leaders” and called for an immediate inquiry into the matter.
The Congress party has a long history of championing democratic values in India, having played a key role in the country’s struggle for independence from British rule. However, its recent fortunes have been mixed, with the BJP having won two consecutive national elections in 2014 and 2019.
The BJP has rejected the allegations of political targeting, with party spokesperson Sambit Patra describing the survey as a “biased and politically motivated attempt to tarnish the government’s image.”
However, the survey’s findings have struck a chord with many in India, who are increasingly concerned about the government’s handling of dissenting voices.
The issue of political targeting by the government is not a new one in India, with previous administrations also facing allegations of using state institutions to silence opposition voices.
However, the scale and scope of the BBC survey’s findings have brought the issue back into the spotlight and are likely to further fuel the ongoing debate about the state of democracy in India.
With the next national election due to take place in 2024, it remains to be seen whether the BJP’s handling of dissenting voices will have an impact on its electoral fortunes. However, what is clear is that the issue is likely to remain a key topic of debate in the months and years to come.
