"Opposition Alleges Government Freezing of Accounts Ahead of Indian Elections"

India's main opposition party, the Congress party, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of stifling democracy and crippling the party by freezing its bank accounts in a tax dispute ahead of national elections. The BJP rejected the allegations, stating that the Congress party's bank accounts were partially frozen due to failure to file an income tax return for cash donations. The Congress party's treasurer said the party had received significant donations and that income tax authorities had imposed a lien and confiscated a substantial amount. The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the Congress party's complaint early next month, and voting in India will stretch over seven phases, with results announced on June 4.