Income Tax department issues fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice to Congress

New Delhi: In yet another setback to the cash-strapped Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Income Tax Department has sent a fresh notice of Rs 1,700 crore for alleged discrepancies in tax returns of previous years.

Sources said the notice pertains to alleged discrepancies in tax returns for the years 2017-18 to 2020-21. The latest notice was received earlier this week.

The Congress is already facing a shortage of funds after the Income Tax authorities imposed a penalty of Rs 210 crore and frozen its funds. The party has not got any relief from the high court in the matter and is likely to move the Supreme Court.

The party has accused the BJP of using tax authorities to finish it financially ahead of the Lok Sabha polls beginning April 19.