'Nothing wrong in action taken against Kejriwal'

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Saturday said he saw nothing wrong in the I-T department sending notices to social activist Arvind Kejriwal.

The Income Tax department had first sent a notice to Kejriwal in 2006-07 and this was again sent now, Singh told reporters in Gwalior.

"There is nothing wrong in the action taken against Kejriwal," the senior Congress leader added.

Kejriwal was issued notices by the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Delhi for clearance of his dues of Rs 9.27 lakh on August 5.

The dues had accumulated over the alleged violation of bond clauses under which Kejriwal, an Indian Revenue Service officer, had gone abroad on study leave for two years between November 2000 and 2002.

When the Delhi CCIT had written to him in 2007 and 2008 for clearance of his dues, Kejriwal had responded that they may be waived.

The department issued a notice on August 5 eleven days before Anna Hazare was to launch his indefinite fast in the capital against corruption.

Hazare and other civil group members have attacked the issuance of notices as part of the government's "dirty tricks department" action and as one that came under instructions from political bosses.