Close on the heels of Durga Puja festivities in West Bengal and other parts of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have begun sparring over what is called the Durga Puja tax.
According to a report in NDTV, two woman leaders of the TMC sat on a day-long sit-in protest in Kolkata on Tuesday -- all on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's instructions.
The BJP, which had allegedly sent tax notices to Durga Puja organisers, claimed TMC was opposed to the move because it used the funding to convert black money into white.
Trinamool, on the other hand, accused BJP of tax terrorism.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, a senior minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, also joined the protest held under the banner of Banga Janini Brigade, a cultural women's front floated by Mamata Banerjee.
"They are trying to abolish the Durga Pujas because Mamata Banerjee has made such a global success of it," NDTV quoted Hakim, as saying.
In a bizarre twist however, the Income Tax department's tweeted saying it had not issued any tax offices to Durga Pujas Committees this year.
But over 40 puja panels claim they have got Income Tax notices seeking details of payments and tax deducted at source.
If the notices are at all served, they are going to hurt the small traders the most.
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