'20% of India votes for us, we can't even pay Rs 2': Rahul Gandhi attacks PM

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi minced no words as he attacked the BJP-led government for freezing of the party's accounts, calling it a "criminal action" by the Prime Minister and Home Minister.

In a rare press conference by three top Congress leaders, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the party also launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP-led government over the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme.While Sonia Gandhi said there was a "systematic effort" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "cripple" the Congress financially, Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the BJP took money from some companies, in reference to the electoral bonds scheme.

The Congress, in February, had claimed that its bank accounts were frozen by the Income Tax department in connection with a dispute over a tax demand of Rs 210 crore. However, there has been no official statement from the I-T department.

HERE ARE THE FIVE BIG CHARGES MADE BY CONGRESS

• On the freezing of Congress's bank accounts, Rahul Gandhi said it was "orchestrated" to cripple the party in the Lok Sabha election. "Our leaders cannot fly from one part of the country to another. Forget flying, they cannot even take a train," Gandhi said.
• Rahul Gandhi also alleged that due to the freezing of the party's bank accounts, the party was not being able to do campaign work. "20% of India votes for us, and we are not able to pay Rs 2 for anything. We can do no campaign work, we cannot support our workers, we cannot support our candidates... This has been done two months before the election campaign," he said.
• Rahul Gandhi also questioned the "silence" of the Election Commission over the issue. "What's interesting to me is that there are institutions in this country that are supposed to protect the democratic framework. There is an Election Commission in the country, but it has not even said anything."
• Sonia Gandhi alleged that the finances of the principal opposition party were under assault. "Funds collected from the public are being frozen and money from our accounts is being taken away forcibly," she said.
• Mallikarjun Kharge said under the electoral bonds scheme, the BJP "filled its accounts with thousands and crores of rupees". "On the other hand, under a conspiracy, the bank account of the main opposition party has been frozen. So, in the absence of funds, there is no level-playing field. This is a dangerous game by the ruling party which will have a far-reaching impact," Kharge said.