How can political parties turn in old notes without paying tax, asks Kejriwal

New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday demanded setting up of a commission to probe source of funding of political parties.
The government on Friday said: “The Rs 500 and 1,000 notes that were abolished last month can be deposited by political parties till December 30 in their bank accounts without having to pay any tax.”
He also questioned the Central government’s decision to exempt political parties from paying income tax while depositing the old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes.
He sought to link the Centre’s tax exemption decision to the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday, suggesting that the announcement was the outcome of the parleys between the two.
“Common people are being investigated if they deposit Rs 2.5 lakh individually. But if political parties are not going to be investigated even if they deposit Rs 2,500 crore following the decision, then it is wrong.
“We demand setting up of an independent commission to probe the bank account details of political parties over the past five years, to investigate their sources of funding,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.
He also asked the Centre to make public the details of money deposited by all political parties post-demonetisation and sought removal of the “less than Rs 20,000 donation cap” for tax exemption, saying “each paisa the parties receive should be declared”.