The main opposition party in India, Congress, has announced that its bank accounts have been frozen by the tax department just weeks before the expected announcement of national elections. Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken accused the government of targeting the party to sideline it ahead of the polls. He also criticized the government, questioning the state of democracy in the country. The tax department had frozen four of Congress’s accounts and issued a payment demand of 2.1 billion rupees in relation to a probe into the party’s 2018-19 income tax returns. Maken stated that the party had filed its returns late, but did not deserve such a penalty. Other leading opposition figures have also faced legal sanctions and active investigations, raising concerns over democratic norms in India. The ruling party, BJP, and its members have been accused of selectively targeting political opponents and using law enforcement agencies for political gain. Virendra Sachdeva, president of the BJP’s Delhi branch, blamed Congress for the freezing of its accounts, stating that the party must face the consequences for not following government rules.