New Delhi

The Income Tax (IT) department is conducting raids on political parties across the country on Wednesday in connection with alleged bogus donation and tax fraud.

The raids are underway in multiple cities in over half a dozen States. These political parties were allegedly involved in serious financial impropriety by receiving donations without due statutory compliances.

The Election Commission of India in May this year acted against such political parties who had claimed IT exemption without complying with statutory requirements and deleted 87 political parties from its list for bogus donation and tax fraud and violating norms.

According to the IT department, 199 registered unrecognised political parties claimed Rs 445 cr tax exemption in 2018-19. In 2019-20, 219 such political parties claimed tax exemptions to the tune of Rs 608 crores.

Among those raided is the residence of Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party chief Gopal Rai in Lucknow.

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Several NGOs are run by Rai. The IT department is investigating cases related to tax evasion.

All political parties are under a statutory obligation to file a return of income for each assessment year to be eligible for income tax exemption.