Kolkata, Aug. 14 -- The ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday staged an eight-hour sit-in protest against the Central Government's decision to tax Kolkata Durga Puja committees. Within days of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemning the Centre for getting the I-T Department to target Durga Puja organisers so as to browbeat them into joining the BJP, the TMC's women's wing Banga Janani Brigade started a dharna demanding withdrawal of tax notices sent to the Puja organisers.
The Income Tax Department officials however said there had been no such initiative this year on their behalf. Department sources said they had only "called the Puja organizers to instruct them on ways of deducting taxes at sources while clearing the dues of contractors ...