PATNA: The income tax department on Friday served a notice to Lalu Prasad's RJD to disclose its source of income for organising the rally against BJP in Patna on August 27.The TDS (tax deduction at source) section of the I-T office here sent the notice seeking explanation on expenditure made on preparing the huge dais, light and sound arrangements, posters, banners, flags, hoardings, hiring buses and other vehicles to ferry tens of thousands of supporters and their accommodation in the state capital.RJD functionaries had claimed that hotels and marriage halls were booked for the night stay of RJD supporters.Besides, tents were erected at the bungalows of party MLAs and MLCs.Sources in the I-T department said while making contractual payments, it's mandatory under I-T Act, 1962 to disclose how much tax was deducted at source.Lalu's son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, while admitting that the party has received the I-T notice, accused the NDA government of misusing central agencies against RJD. "It is a misuse of government machinery by BJP to pressurise the opposition. BJP frequently organises high-tech rallies, but nobody ever asked them about the expenditure incurred on the same," said the leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly.Leaders of 12 opposition parties, including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee , Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, had attended RJD's rally.Earlier, in October 2013, the I-T department had sought details of the expenditure and payments made to the contractors by the BJP for Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's rally in Patna.Similarly, the department had served notice to JD (U) on the expenditure made in organising CM Nitish Kumar 's 'Adhikar rally' here on November 4, 2012.I-T officials had on Tuesday questioned Tejashwi and his mother Rabri Devi in connection with the alleged benami assets.

Source: Times of India September 01, 2017 22:52 UTC