Salient points of the joint press conference of Former Union Minister & Senior BJP Leader Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad & BJP National Spokesperson Dr. Sambit Patra

 

Salient points of joint press conference of Former Union Minister & Senior BJP Leader Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and the party’s National Spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra

 

Former Union Minister & Senior BJP leader Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and party’s National spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra addressed a joint press conference at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. In the press conference. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad criticized Rahul Gandhi's statement likening freezing of Congress party's bank accounts to freezing the nation's account, terming it as an acknowledgment of defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, and also presented facts to expose the lies uttered by Rahul Gandhi. Shri Patra pointed out the deteriorating political condition of the Congress and the growing disillusionment among its candidates.

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that if the joint press conference of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Kharge were to be summarized in one word, it would be "In utter desperation of imminent defeat the Congress party sought to create an alibi today." The Congress party, politically, has dried up and withered away, yet if the party's account has been frozen, their leaders claim that the nation's account has been frozen. Shri Prasad remarked that Rahul Gandhi should not insult Indian democracy as this country and its democracy are bigger than his party. Shri Ravishankar Prasad questioned that when Rahul Gandhi can lie and make demeaning remarks, when he has all the rights, how can he say that there is no democracy in the country.

Shri Prasad commented that insulting India is nothing new for Rahul Gandhi, wherever he goes, whether it's America, Singapore, or London, he repeatedly conveys that there is no democracy in India. He questioned Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi that if the people of the country do not vote for Congress or are not going to vote for them in the future, then what can BJP do about it? Shri Prasad expressed that while BJP also wishes for Congress to thrive as an opposition, it's high time for the Congress party to realize that every time Rahul Gandhi speaks, their credibility diminishes, and they will lose ground in the country.

Former Union Minister mentioned that according to Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, there is a specific provision for political parties to be exempted from income tax, on the condition that they submit their annual returns, detailing donations up to  ₹20,000 and provide a certified auditor's report regarding larger donations received. Failure to comply with these requirements results in the loss of exemption for the party.

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that on July 6th, 2021, orders were issued against INC for the assessment year 2018-19 due to non-filing of returns, resulting in the loss of exemption for the party. Subsequently, demands amounting to Rs. 105,70,29,36,35 were raised. He referenced the Income Tax Act, specifically Articles 220 and 221, which deal with collection and recovery, comprising ten sections as part of an inherent mechanism. Shri Prasad questioned Rahul Gandhi regarding the basis of his falsehoods, highlighting instances where Rahul Gandhi's stay appeals were rejected, leading to the seizure of party accounts and penalties imposed.

BJP Senior Shri leader Shri Ravishankar Prasad asserted that when the Congress party was penalized, they approached the CIT for an appeal, but their stay application was rejected. A tax of ₹135 crore plus interest was added, and then they approached the IT-AT (Income Tax Appellate Tribunal), which dismissed their stay. Shri Prasad cited the High Court’s statement and conveyed that the Congress went to the High Court, where on March 13th, their petition was once again rejected. After that, Congress went to the Supreme Court, and the hearing is scheduled for April 1st. Shri Prasad questioned why Rahul Gandhi omitted these instances in his press conference today.

Shri Ravishankar Prasad challenged Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the courts, election commission, and media, urging him to apologize for disparaging these institutions. He questioned how Rahul Gandhi could claim there were no hearings when he himself attended court proceedings. Shri Prasad also highlighted the ongoing case regarding the alleged misappropriation of property worth Rs 5000 crore from National Herald. He pointed out that the Gandhi family acquired this property, valued at Rs 5000 crore, with an initial investment of just Rs 50 lakh, because Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were holding a 76 percent share in the trust.

BJP MP Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will experience defeat in the upcoming election, while the nation aims to advance under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Their shameful comment has tarnished the reputation of Indian democracy worldwide. Shri Prasad proudly emphasized BJP's unwavering support for Indian democracy, media, and judiciary. In a sarcastic manner, he proposed that NGO partners aid Rahul Gandhi in completing his tasks to prevent him from being mocked as he is regarded as  'Yuvraj' .

BJP National Spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra stated that concerning the freezing of bank accounts if an individual is a defaulter, they will be treated accordingly. Shri Patra emphasized that the Gandhi family's perception of entitlement, assuming that even if they defaulted, the laws of the country wouldn't apply to them, is outdated. He credited Shri Narendra Modi's hard work and stated that victory in the election is evident. For Shri Narendra Modi, PM stands for "Pasina aur Mehnat".

Shri Patra stated that in the era of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, discussions do not happen without accountability. In the Bharatiya Janata Party, there are 303 Members of Parliament, which constitute 55% of the total members of the Parliament. Out of these, 48 MPs belong to the Congress, meaning 9% of the Parliament's members are from the Congress. Additionally, there are 24 MPs from the DMK and 22 from the TMC. The public will be surprised to know that the BJP received around ₹6,000 crore in bonds, TMC received nearly 1,400 crore rupees, and Congress received more than 1,400 crore rupees. This raises the question of how a party with only 9 percent MPs received ₹1400 crore worth of bonds.

Shri Sambit Patra highlighted that, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah revealed that the primary objective of electoral bonds was to curb black money in election expenditures and improve electoral reforms. During the discussion in Parliament, the Congress party supported electoral bonds. However, today, in the face of their defeat, the Congress party is blaming these very electoral bonds and the Election Commission. The Income Tax Department has not closed any of Congress' accounts. The truth is that the outstanding amount of ₹115 crore owed by Congress has been frozen, but the rest of the money is available for Congress to use. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, who are out on bail for embezzling ₹5,000 crore in the National Herald case, should not even talk about expenditures. The amount of money Congress has plundered through scams is sufficient not just for one election but for funding elections worldwide.

Shri Sambit Patra mentioned that the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine invited Hon'ble  PM Shri Narendra Modi to establish peace post-elections, indicating his anticipated victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. When the whole world respects India and its democracy, the Gandhi family makes statements that shame Indian democracy. Rahul Gandhi's car has no fuel left, no matter how much it is launched, it won't run. Rahul Gandhi calls the youth of Varanasi drug addicts, talks about Aishwarya Rai dancing on the subject of spirituality like the Ram Mandir, and talks about dividing the country on his ‘Bharat Todo Yatra’, which is why the public does not choose him.  rewrite in short

BJP National Spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra emphasized that the political condition of the Congress has deteriorated to such an extent that candidates are returning their tickets. In Himachal Pradesh, Pratibha Singh stated that there is nothing left for Congress on the ground. What will EVMs and electoral bonds do for a party where no one wants to contest elections? Shri Patra advised that Rahul Gandhi should strengthen the bond between Congress and the public. Congress has always looted the country, and accordingly, the country has rejected Congress. Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu's house was raided, and ₹400 crore were recovered. This is an example of looting. If ₹400 crore are recovered from Dheeraj Sahu's house, the country's agencies will not sit quietly because this money belongs to the poor of the country, and this money should be used for the country's development.