Same passport, credit cards, emails, cell numbers used for multiple foreign donations to AAP: ED to MHA
New Delhi, May 21
The Enforcement Directorate had in October 2022 written to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla for appropriate action on alleged violations of laws in respect of foreign funding of the Aam Aadmi Party.
The crux of the allegations, based on findings that were part of ED’s probe into an ongoing drug racket case in Punjab, is that AAP violated the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act 2010 and the Representation of People’s Act 1951 by receiving foreign funds. Political parties are prohibited from receiving foreign funding.
ED dossier makes the following broad allegations — AAP received funds from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and other countries; the real identity of foreign donors was concealed by AAP in their book of accounts to circumvent restrictions on foreign donations to political parties; foreign donation were directly deposited into AAP’s IDBI bank account; foreign funding was siphoned off by some AAP leaders (Delhi MLA Durgesh Pathak has been named in the dossier); same passport numbers, credit cards, email ids and mobile numbers were used by different donors to transfer funds to AAP.
The ED dossier (The Tribune has a copy) relies on the purported admissions by Pankaj Gupta, National Secretary of AAP, who was summoned for probe in the ongoing PMLA case on drugs in Punjab and admitted that AAP had has been receiving foreign donations “either through cheque or through online portal.”
“The analysis of data of foreign donations as submitted by Gupta has revealed following discrepancies in receipt of foreign donations which are in contravention to the provisions of FCRA: Multiple donors have used same passport numbers for donation (155 persons residing abroad have made donations totalling to Rs 1.02 crore on 404 occasions using 55 passport numbers); 71 donors residing abroad have used 21 mobile numbers for making donations totalling to Rs 99,90,870/- on 256 occasions; 75 donors residing abroad have used 15 credit cards for making donations totalling Rs 19,92.123/-on 148 occasions.
These facts prove concealment of identity and nationality of real source of funds used for donation. This is in violation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010,” ED said referring the matter to MHA for action.
AAP refutes ED dossier
The AAP strongly rebutted ED dossier saying with BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi staring at defeat, they have begun indulging in dirty politics but people know everything.
“They are now saying that the Aam Aadmi Party has received foreign funds. This is an old matter, and AAP has already handed over the detail of every penny related to this matter to the ED, CBI, and the MHA.
“In 2015, MHA had submitted an affidavit and said that nothing wrong had happened. This issue is old and over, the question arises why this issue is being raised by the BJP again today,” AAP general secretary organisation and Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak asked.
He said whenever BJP sees defeat, it starts flagging old and fake cases and resorts to dirty politics.
“BJP has already faced defeat in elections by making absurd allegations in Delhi and Punjab, the same thing is going to happen again,” said Pathak adding that PM Narendra Modi, who has ruled for 10 years does not even have 10 tasks to list.
“People of country are fed up with dirty politics of BJP and have decided to bid farewell to BJP and PM Modi,” said Pathak.
Similar allegation was made against AAP in 2015, but people of Delhi did not fall for them, Delhi minister Atishi added.
She said attempt was made to make false allegations against Arvind Kejriwal through Swati Maliwal and when nothing was found, allegations were made against his PA Bibhav Kumar.
“When this conspiracy also failed, ED has been brought in. BJP and ED should know that since its formation, AAP has given account of every single rupee to Election Commission and Income Tax Department.
Whatever promises Arvind Kejriwal made to people of Delhi and Punjab, he fulfilled and this is why BJP and PM are afraid of him,” said Atishi.
