New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been asked by the Home Ministry to explain its funding from foreign sources. The queries follow suspicions that the party may have violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act that is administered by the Home Ministry.
The questionnaire is the first step to confirm allegations of violations of the law to regulate remittances from abroad to civil society groups and political parties. The home ministry, if it isn't satisfied, can order the party to produce its account before recommending action against the party.
As reports of the communication emerged on Friday, AAP leaders lashed out at the BJP-led ruling alliance, for what it called, was a clear case of witch hunting and vendetta politics. Just yesterday, the CBI had targeted a Delhi government official for a "high-cost" contract for engaging security personnel at the city's hospitals.
A Press Trust of India report later quoted a Home Ministry official calling its communication as part of "routine" queries sent to some political parties on overseas funding. A decision on further action would be taken on any further inquiry only after the AAP submits its reply.
"We've been probed by two successive governments over foreign funds, once by Manmohan Singh government and once by this government. And both times, the concluding report gave us a clean chit. Why target us again and again if you're going to get the same result?" Ashutosh said.
AAP has in the past been accused by a group of its former members of accepting donations from dubious companies with no credible source of income or legitimate addresses. It had pulled out details of its donors from its website after suggestions that the government had targeted its donors.
The questionnaire is the first step to confirm allegations of violations of the law to regulate remittances from abroad to civil society groups and political parties. The home ministry, if it isn't satisfied, can order the party to produce its account before recommending action against the party.
As reports of the communication emerged on Friday, AAP leaders lashed out at the BJP-led ruling alliance, for what it called, was a clear case of witch hunting and vendetta politics. Just yesterday, the CBI had targeted a Delhi government official for a "high-cost" contract for engaging security personnel at the city's hospitals.
A Press Trust of India report later quoted a Home Ministry official calling its communication as part of "routine" queries sent to some political parties on overseas funding. A decision on further action would be taken on any further inquiry only after the AAP submits its reply.
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"We've been probed by two successive governments over foreign funds, once by Manmohan Singh government and once by this government. And both times, the concluding report gave us a clean chit. Why target us again and again if you're going to get the same result?" Ashutosh said.
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AAP has in the past been accused by a group of its former members of accepting donations from dubious companies with no credible source of income or legitimate addresses. It had pulled out details of its donors from its website after suggestions that the government had targeted its donors.
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