New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS): Accusing the Gandhi family of consistently dedicating itself to only enhancing its "personal economic strength", the BJP on Tuesday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is quick to hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is running away from the Income Tax department.

Union Minister Smriti Irani attacked the Congress and the Gandhi family, citing Monday's Delhi High Court verdict that dismissed the pleas of Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi against the Income Tax notice seeking tax reassessment for the financial year 2011-2012 and comments made by former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan.

"It is my belief after reading media reports that Rahul Gandhi and his family refuse to answer the income tax officers on the basis of notice served to them. I ask every Indian citizen that can any of us defy the income tax notice when asked to come and produce answers. Why is that Gandhi, who is quick to hug the Prime Minister, would run miles away when it comes to income tax officers," Irani told a press conference.

She said that the court's verdict and Rajan's comments on economy presented another example of "saga of corruption" by Congress leaders namely Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Sonia Gandhi.

"Rajan has said that between 2006 and 2008, the UPA functionings led to increased NPAs in Indian banking structure while the judiciary presented yet another evidence of deep seated corruption in the hollow holds of the Congress.

"The UPA Chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) led a government that attacked the very core of the Indian banking system," she said referring to Rajan's remarks.

"The fact that Rajan has said I am sure what he has said is a reflection of not only the mafia raj in polices by the Congress government but also a challenge which the Congress led UPA left behind the nation to deal with. This is just a certificate given by Rajan of the kind of nefarious activity undertaken by Congress led UPA in the last regime," she said.

The senior BJP leader said that the Congress let the economy "stray" while the Gandhi family was very diligent to protect its own financial strength through enterprises like AJL and Young India.

"On one hand the Prime Minister has worked to ensure the economic upliftment of those women, who are the very foundation of our administration and society. And on the other hand the Gandhi family ably led by Rahul Gandhi, have consistently dedicated themselves to only enhancing their personal economic strength," she said.

Rajan in a written response to a parliamentary panel said that a larger number of bad loans originated in the period 2006-2008.

The NDA government blamed the Congress-led UPA government for the non-performing asset (NPA) crisis.

To a question related to boycott call given by National Conference and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat poll, Irani said: "Panchayat elections are very fulcrum on which we celebrate the strength of our democracy and my support is to ensure that people's voice is heard at the grass root level of democracy."