Cong claims IT Dept raided party employees, says BJP trying to convert India into 'police state'

The Congress on Saturday claimed the Income Tax Department raided houses of five employees of the party and accused the BJP of trying to convert India into a "police state".

According to the Congress, the Income Tax Department carried out raids at residences of five employees of the party's accounts department on Friday. The raids continued on Saturday as well.

Addressing a press conference at the party office here, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma wondered whether there were two sets of laws in the country as no one questioned the BJP, which, he claimed, was the richest political party in the world.

"India cannot be converted into a state where people are living in fear and insecurity... You (BJP) cannot create a police or a surveillance state by terror of raids on the opposition party," he said.

He alleged that the BJP-led government is obsessed with political vendetta and now it has started raiding the houses of Congress employees as part of its agenda to target the opposition parties.

Citing reports, Sharma claimed that the BJP spent about Rs 40,000 crore during the Lok Sabha elections and 99 per cent of the total electoral bonds were in its favour but no one questioned the party.

"From where (did) this money come? No one asks them questions and now the BJP-led government has stooped to a new low by targeting small-time salaried employees of the Congress... they are just employees, not leaders," he said.

The Congress leader alleged that the BJP is flushed with money as the government indulged in crony-capitalism. Sharma said the ruling party thinks it is above the law.