New income tax law gives sweeping powers to tax officials, violates right to privacy: Congress

Gurdeep Sappal, a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and coordinator in the Congress president’s office, said that the proposed law gives officials access to the email, social media, and bank accounts of anyone who receives an income tax (I-T) summons. 
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The Congress on Friday (March 7, 2025) alleged that the new income tax law gives tax officials sweeping powers, which allow them to violate the fundamental right to privacy.

Gurdeep Sappal, a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and coordinator in the Congress president’s office, said that the proposed law gives officials access to the email, social media, and bank accounts of anyone who receives an income tax (I-T) summons. 

“It gives power to the [I-T] officers to override any password of any device and gain access to to all content including cloud server, phone data, social media and of course, income related data. This is a gross violation of Fundamental Right to Privacy, upheld by the Supreme Court,” Mr. Sappal said in a post on X. “[P]rovision 247 of the new Income Tax Bill fails the test of reasonableness and also the test of proportionate action,” he added.

‘Surveillance state’

Supriya Shrinate, who heads the Congress social media department, had warned on Thursday (March 6, 2025) that the proposed law will make India a “surveillance state”.

“The Modi government that has been misusing agencies to silence critics and crush Opposition will now do this: harass and intimidate citizens, settle political scores by targeting opponents, weaponise tax department to destroy reputations and lives. This is nothing but surveillance. Will you just stay silent or look the other way?” Ms. Shrinate asked in a video, posted on her X handle.

The Congress’s official X account added: “They spied on us with Pegasus. Now, they’ll take away our personal lives altogether. Under [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s new income tax law, the government is quietly giving tax officials the power to break into your digital life. No warrant, no notice — mere suspicion is enough to strip you of your privacy. This is surveillance. And we must all oppose it unequivocally.”