Congress targets Tejasvi Surya amid reports he opened emergency exit of a flight
Bengaluru, Jan 17: Opposition Congress on Tuesday targeted Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, amid reports that the passenger, who accidentally opened the emergency exit of an IndiGo plane after boarding at Chennai airport last month was the BJP Yuva Morcha chief.
It has also questioned as to why the government hid the incident so long. Neither Surya nor his office have reacted to the allegations so far.
"Tejasvi Surya is an example of what will happen if children playing games are given the proprietorship. An act of children's mischief by trying to open the emergency exit door of the plane has come to light. Why prank with the lives of passengers?" Karnataka Congress said.
In a series of tweets, sharing media reports, it asked as to why the government hid Surya's attempt to open the emergency exit door, by violating the flight safety rules.
"What was the MP's intention? What plans were there to create a disaster? Why was he transferred to the back seat after apologising?," the Congress asked, while questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to who would have been responsible for the disaster if this "prank" had been carried out after take-off.
"Why is this not being investigated?" it further asked.
The aircraft, which was on the ground, was subject to mandatory engineering checks before it flew to Tiruchirapalli that day.
A senior official at aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday said the event was duly reported and that no safety was compromised.
Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar too sharing the news report accusing Surya said, "For a safe take-off and landing, always fly with Congress."
While, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet said, "The BJP VIP Brats ! How dare the airline complain? Is it the norm for the BJP power elite? Did it compromise passenger safety? Ohhh! U can't ask questions about BJP's entitled VIP's !"
Questioning whether the MP used his good offices to suppress this news, Congress MLA and KPCC's Communications in-charge Priyank Kharge tweeted, "Why is Indigo so hesitant to name the passenger? Why didn't they report to DGCA? Why is No Comments from the MP? BJP's Tejasvi Surya allegedly opened emergency exit of IndiGo flight, flight delayed by 2 hours."
Why is @IndiGo6E so hesitant to name the passenger?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) January 17, 2023
Why didn’t they report to DGCA?
Why is No Comments from the MP?
BJP’s Tejasvi Surya allegedly opened emergency exit of IndiGo flight, flight delayed by 2 hourshttps://t.co/683AtInLjw
For a safe take-off and landing, always fly with Congress.#Indigo pic.twitter.com/D6tpdO8l4a
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) January 17, 2023
The BJP VIP Brats !
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 17, 2023
How dare the airline complain?
Is it the norm for the BJP power elite?
Did it compromise passenger safety?
Ohhh!
U can’t ask questions about BJP’s entitled VIP’s !https://t.co/BbyJ0oEcN6
ಸಂಸದ @Tejasvi_Surya
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) January 17, 2023
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PIL in SC seeks abolition of TDS system, cites constitutional violations
New Delhi (PTI): A PIL filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday sought to scrap the TDS system calling it "arbitrary and irrational" and violative of various fundamental rights, including equality.
The PIL challenged the tax deducted at source or TDS framework under the Income Tax Act, which mandates the deduction of tax at the time of payment by the payer and its deposit with the income tax department. The deducted amount is adjusted against the payee's tax liability.
The plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay through advocate Ashwani Dubey, made the Centre, ministry of law and justice, law commission, and NITI Aayog as parties.
It sought a direction to "declare the TDS system manifestly arbitrary, irrational and against Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (right to practice profession) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution, hence void and inoperative".
The plea further sought directions to the NITI Ayog to consider contentions raised in the plea and suggest necessary changes in TDS system.
It said the law commission should examine the legality of the TDS system and prepare a report within three months.
The TDS system imposes significant administrative and financial burdens on taxpayers tasked with compliance which include managing complex rules, issuing TDS certificates, filing returns, and defending against penalties for inadvertent errors, argued the plea.
Assessees often incur substantial expenses, ranging from salaries of compliance staff to professional fees for tax consultants, without receiving compensation, it said.
The plea said the system violated Article 14 (equality before the law) by disproportionately burdening economically weaker sections and small earners who lack the capacity to navigate its technical requirements.
Referring to Article 23, it said the imposition of tax collection duties on private citizens amounted to forced labour.
The TDS system was stated to adversely affect individuals below the taxable income threshold, as tax was deducted at source irrespective of their liability.
"The regulatory and procedural framework surrounding TDS is excessively technical, often requiring specialised legal and financial expertise, which most assessees lack. The result is an unjust shifting of sovereign responsibilities from the government to private citizens without adequate compensation, resources, or legal safeguards," it said.
