Tax raids on Centre for Policy Research, Oxfam India and Bengaluru-based IPSMF

The Income Tax department on Wednesday, September 7, conducted raids and surveys in various states in separate cases related to alleged tax evasion, FCRA violations, and illicit funding of registered unrecognised political parties, official sources said. The operations also targeted the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), global NGO Oxfam India, and Bengaluru-based Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation, with raids on their premises. Official sources told PTI that the raids are a part of a probe related to alleged FCRA contravention in funds received by them, the sources said.

IPSMF provides financial support to independent digital-media entities in India, including The News Minute, The Wire, The Print and Swarajya. There was no immediate comment from Oxfam India, Centre for Policy Research and Bengaluru-based Independent and Public Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF) and a few others. Sources said the department is looking at the balance sheets of these organisations vis-a-vis the receipt of funds via the FCRA.

The department visited the premises of these organisations around noon and inspected the book of accounts and financial transactions as part of the probe related to alleged contravention of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), they said. The office staff and main directors and office bearers were questioned too, the sources said.

The Congress has slammed the Union government over the raids, calling it a deliberate move to exterminate all independent media and voices. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that it is “absolutely atrocious” that research and advocacy organisations and independent charitable trusts like CPR, Oxfam, and IPSMF have been raided "at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah."

"It's a deliberate move to exterminate all independent media and voices!" Ramesh said in a video statement.

The Income Tax department also conducted raids and surveys in various states in separate cases related to alleged tax evasion, violation of FCRA violation and illicit funding of registered unrecognised political parties, official sources said. The coordinated operations were carried out at over 110 locations in Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and some other states against certain registered unrecognised political parties and their alleged dubious financial transactions, they said.

Some other instances of political funding through alleged illegal means are also being investigated as part of the action, they said. 

The surprise action is understood to have been taken by the department on a recent recommendation of the Election Commission (EC) as part of which at least 198 entities were struck off from its list of registered unrecognised political parties after they were found non-existent during physical verification.

The poll panel had announced that it was taking action against more than 2,100 entities, categorised as registered unrecognised political parties by it, for flouting rules and election laws, including those related to filing of monetary contributions, failing to update their address and names of office bearers.

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