May 20th 2024.
In a recent update, it has been reported that the Enforcement Directorate has raised concerns about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) receiving over Rs 7 crore in foreign funds without following the guidelines set by the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). This revelation was made after the agency stumbled upon certain documents and emails during their investigation into a drug-related money laundering case involving former Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was arrested by the ED in 2021 and is now a member of the Congress party.
According to official sources, the Enforcement Directorate had sent a detailed communication to the Union Home Ministry in August last year, highlighting the alleged violations committed by the AAP and classifying them as violations of both the FCRA and The Representation of the People Act. It is believed that the agency has recently shared new information with the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding this matter.
The sources further revealed that the ED had discovered that the AAP had received a total of Rs 7.08 crore in foreign donations, which they claim to have been "mis-declared and manipulated" by the party. This includes the identities and nationalities of the donors, as well as other details. The agency has also provided the MHA with verified information such as the names of the donors, their nationalities, passport numbers, amount donated, mode of donation, bank account details of the recipient, billing information, contact details, and the date and time of donation, as well as the payment gateway used.
Furthermore, it has been reported that some fundraising events organized by the AAP's overseas volunteers in the USA and Canada between 2015 and 2016 were also found to be in violation of the FCRA, according to the agency's findings. In one particular instance, the ED has informed the MHA that the party had concealed the names and nationalities of certain individuals based in Canada in their financial records in order to hide the foreign donations being made to the party's Indian bank account.
A senior official has stated that cases of FCRA violations fall under the jurisdiction of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Home Ministry can request an investigation into these allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate. This development has raised concerns about the potential impact of foreign funding on political parties in the country and the need for stricter regulations to prevent any such violations in the future. The matter is currently under investigation, and further updates are awaited.
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