In a move that could lead to yet another confrontation between the Centre and the Kejriwal dispensation, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to furnish details of foreign funding to it following suspicion that it might have violated the provisions of the Foreign Contribution (regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA).
The MHA has written to AAP asking it to submit details of its sources, nature and amount of donations, shareholding pattern of the corporation/company/source from where it has received from foreign countries by May 16. The Ministry has also sought details on foreign equity in the share holding pattern of the corporation/source/company it has received so far.
In a letter to the AAP’s Chief Functionary, the Ministry has asked for details of shareholding pattern of the corporation or company or the source from where the AAP has received these donations. The letter said that the requisite information has to be provided in year-wise tabulated form. It said that the party should specify the changes in the shareholding pattern in foreign equity in the company or corporation or any other source from which the donations have been received.
The letter said: “As you are aware, all the political parties are required to follow provisions of Section 2(c) read with Section 2(e) (vi) and Section 4 (1) of FCRA, 1976 (hereafter referred to as the repealed Act.”
It said: “…In order to comply with the order dated December 17, 2015 of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, the above said information is required to be analysed in this Ministry. Your reply in the matter should reach this Ministry within 15 days of the receipt of this notice but not later than May 16, 2017.”
The AAP has constantly been maintaining that it was open to any scrutiny of any donation it has received so far. The party also displays its list of donors along with the amount they have paid on its official website.
Officials in Home Ministry said the communication to the AAP was part of its “routine” queries sent to a few other political parties regarding overseas funding to them. “We do ask political parties for details of their funding from time to time and the letter to AAP is also keeping with that system,” officials said.