NEW DELHI: Less than a week after Anna Hazare broke his fast with much fanfare, Team Anna is claiming that government is back to its 'dirty tricks' and is victimizing them for their campaign. Hazare's aide Arvind Kejriwal has received an income tax notice for dues of over Rs 9 lakh, a charge that he has hotly contested, saying it was not the I-T department but "political bosses" that have made them do this.
His colleague, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, linked the renewed urgency behind I-T department's move with MPs' complaints against Kiran Bedi's "ghoonghat act" and the police claim that the CD with a purported conversation between his father Shanti Bhushan and Mulayam Singh Yadav was genuine.
Bhushan said, "This shows that the government has not learnt the lesson. There is a notice against Arvind. Delhi Police has closed the investigations in the CD case saying the disc is genuine. There is also a privilege notice against Bedi. They are back to the dirty tricks department." Bhushan plans to move court against Delhi Police's closure report and will ask for an independent probe by a court appointed special investigative team.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal questioned the timing of the notice coming 11 days ahead of Hazare's fast. Chief commissioner of income tax issued the notice to Kejriwal to clear the dues, claiming that he violated the bond clauses under which he went for study leave for two years. Kejriwal claimed he "did not violate" any bond provision and he resigned from his Indian Revenue Service job after the stipulated three years of rejoining duty after study leave. "It is not the I-T department's decision. They are doing what government is saying. The I-T officials have no role in this notice. They are doing because of the pressure from political bosses," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal said he had taken study leave on full pay for two years from November 1, 2000 and he rejoined work on November 1, 2002 after signing a bond that he would refund the salary if he resigned or retired or failed to resume duty within three years of his study leave. "I have not violated any provisions. What government is saying is wrong. After over one year of rejoining, I took leave without pay which was sanctioned by my superiors. I worked for RTI. I was not into any wrongdoing. I have not signed any bond that I will not take leave after rejoining," he said.
However, the government has said that unpaid leave can't be recognized as active service and Kejriwal should've worked in the department for three years before resigning. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had, in fact, recommended in 2008 that dues against Kejriwal be waived but the Department of Personnel and Training did not agree. In a letter dated April 22, 2008, the government asked the I-T department to "kindly recover pending dues from Shri Kejriwal as per leave rule and furnish a no dues certificate so that his resignation may be submitted for approval of competent authority".
Kejriwal said he had informed the government that he did not have funds to pay off Rs 9.27 lakh dues as he had donated all his savings. Referring to media reports linking his uncle with RSS, he asked what his relatives had to do with the movement.
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