Parties, NGOs converting black money has to be discouraged: Kiren Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Political outfits or NGOs used as leverage for conversion of black money into white should be discouraged, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, a day after Chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi reportedly said these parties may be conduits to turn black money into white.

"Definitely. Whether it is a political organisation, or NGO or any other firm which is a ground for conversion of black money into whatever form has to be discouraged," the MoS for Home Affairs told reporters outside Parliament.

According to reports, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi has said India has over 1,900 political parties but over 400 of them have never contested any election and suspected these could be conduits for turning black money into white.

The Election Commission (EC) has started an exercise to strike off such parties from its list.

Reports said the CEC has asked the income tax department to stop giving exemption to political parties that do not contest elections.