Donations to Aam Aadmi Party from offshore didnt' violate law: Centre to Delhi High Court

NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that eight persons with foreign addresses have made donations to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but the money received by it was not in violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The Union Home Ministry in its affidavit before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw also informed that its probe into the foreign fundings received by AAP is underway and the donations received by the party from Indians living abroad was not in violation of FCRA.

"The statement of bank accounts of AAP and its units were scrutinized to ascertain whether any donation received is from foreign sources but the bank records do not reveal whether the source is domestic or foreign. "The details of contributions in excess of Rs 20,000 in 2012-13 filed by AAP with Election Commission of India were also collected and scrutinized. The details of contributions revealed that eight persons with foreign addresses have made donations to AAP. Their passport numbers as mentioned in the contribution report of Election Commission of India were checked and it was found that they possess Indian passports," the central government reply said.

"Moreover, it is submitted that NRIs holding Indian passports are not foreign sources. Hence, donation received from them is not treated as foreign contribution as per FCRA, 2010," the reply added. The central government also said eight people with foreign addresses made donations to AAP.

"Their passport numbers as mentioned in the contribution report of Election Commission were checked and it was found that they possess Indian passports and NRIs holding Indian passports are not a foreign source," the reply added. Denying having violated any foreign exchange or other laws, AAP had contended in the high court that the PIL accusing it and its founding members of having illegally received foreign funding is "scandalous, frivolous, motivated and baseless".