Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi Wednesday said she has been served an Income Tax Department notice over her 2020 election affidavit declaration, and attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Central government for "such hollow threats".
Her party also came out in her defence, terming the notice "ridiculous" and saying it exposes the "sexist and chauvinist" face of the BJP.
Reacting sharply to the charges, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Aam Aadmi Party leaders "master the art of playing the victim card".
If any investigative agency issues a notice to any of the AAP leaders, they all come together to raise hue and cry as if their colleague is being illegally harassed or victimised, he said.
Kapoor in a tweet has said that ""Scamster Leaders of a Scamster Party talk of high ideals but the moment any Government agency issues them any notice they all shout in frustration. One fails to understand if there is nothing wrong in MLA Atishi's accounts then why is she so distraught on getting a notice."
Atishi claimed the notice was sent to scare her, but "we have come from difficult fields to change politics of this country and we will not get intimidated by these hollow threats of the BJP".
"I want to tell the Modi government -- we are not afraid of your threats! The Modi government has used every agency to harass AAP leaders but could not sustain a single case against the AAP. The income tax notice was sent to scare, intimidate us," she told a press conference.
"I don't have anything to hide. Wherever the Income Tax Department calls me, I will go with all the details of my bank accounts. I want to challenge the BJP if they are ready to make their bank accounts and property details public," she said.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who also addressed the media, said the notice was served based on Atishi's election affidavit from 2020 in which she had declared Rs 59 lakh worth movable assets in the form of FD and mutual funds, which she said were earned before 2012.
"This shows the sexist and chauvinist face of BJP. the AAP thinks this move is shameful and we strongly condemn it," he said.
Quoting Bharadwaj, the party tweeted, "MODI GOVT SENDS INCOME TAX NOTICE TO @AtishiAAP! Notice is based on her own declaration from the 2020 election affidavit. She had declared 60 lakh worth FD+Mutual Fund. This is ridiculous. She's one of the most educated professionals in politics."
