West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday questioned the income tax exemption on deposits by political parties in demonetised 500 and 1,000-rupee notes, alleging ulterior motives.
“Even the timing of these statements show that there may be an ulterior motive. Is there a motive? Are they trying to give a hidden message to cadre of one political party,” Ms Banerjee said in a series of tweets.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson, one of the most vocal critics of the demonetisation drive, questioned the “division between common people and political parties.”
“They need to clarify that #DeMonetisation means it is #DeMonetisation for all. Same rules for everyone. If 500/1000 are illegal tender, then how are they trying to show that there is a division btwn [between] common people & political parties?,” she said. Her remarks came a day after Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000-rupee notes in their accounts will be exempted from income tax provided the donations taken are below Rs. 20,000.
Meanwhile, senior TMC leader and State’s Urban Development Minister Firhad has called BJP president Amit Shah’s diatribe against the party chairperson “extremely indecent.”
