In a scathing accusation, India's main opposition party, the Congress party, has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of stifling democracy and crippling their party ahead of the upcoming general elections. The Congress party alleges that its bank accounts have been frozen by the government in a tax dispute, severely impacting their ability to campaign effectively.

With the general elections set to begin on April 19, most polls are predicting a victory for Prime Minister Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rahul Gandhi, a former Congress party chief, expressed his concern over the freezing of their accounts, stating that they are now unable to support their workers and enable their candidates and leaders to travel by air or train.

Gandhi accused the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of criminal action against the Congress party, declaring that the notion of India being a democracy is nothing but a lie. He asserted that there is no democracy in India today. The opposition party's bank accounts were allegedly frozen due to its failure to file an income tax return for cash donations received in the financial year 2017-18, resulting in the loss of tax exemption available to political parties, according to the BJP.

Ajay Maken, Congress party treasurer, revealed that the party had received donations amounting to 1.9 billion rupees ($24 million) in 2017-18. On February 13, income tax authorities imposed a 2.1 billion rupee ($25 million) lien, effectively sealing their bank accounts and subsequently confiscating 1.1 billion rupees ($14 million).

The BJP, however, rejected the allegations, with its President Jagat Prakash Nadda claiming that the Congress party is making these accusations against Indian democracy and institutions out of fear of an "historic defeat" in the elections. The Congress party's complaint has been rejected by tax appeal authorities, but it is set to be taken up by India's Supreme Court early next month, as confirmed by BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad.

India's general elections, known as the world's largest democracy, will be conducted in seven phases, with different states voting at different times. The results are expected to be announced on June 4, marking a crucial turning point for the future of Indian politics.

It now remains to be seen how the freezing of Congress party's bank accounts and their subsequent allegations against the Indian government will impact the country's political landscape as the election campaigns gain momentum.