A group of 16 Opposition parties, led by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi among others on Thursday went to President Pranab Mukherjee with a memorandum against the new I-T Amendment Bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Opposition claimed it was not discussed before being passed, which they said was against the democratic process of Parliament.

The Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, proposed to bring in stricter rules and penalties for those with undisclosed income, stipulating that citizens can come clean by paying 30% tax on the amount along with 10% penalty and 33% surcharge. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had tabled the Bill in the lower house on Monday. It also said the declarants would have to keep 25% of the amount locked away for four years with no interest.

Other leaders who met the president included Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Mohammad Salim. Gandhi claimed the “voice of the people is being suppressed” both outside and inside Parliament.

The memorandum claimed, “Members of Lok Sabha had given 11 notices of amendments to the Bill of which seven required Presidential assent. We were not allowed to move these seven amendments. The mandatory provision of the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure are being totally violated in passing this Bill. The government, for reasons beyond our comprehension, passed this Bill without affording opportunity and depriving our democratic rights and privileges, a travesty of justice.”