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AAP stands vindicated, seeks apology from BJP

Centre has given a clean chit to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding receiving foreign funds in violation of law.  The Government on Wednesday informed Delhi High Court that nothing has been found against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its probe regarding allegations that it had received offshore funds in violation of FCRA provisions.

The counsel appearing for the Home Ministry told a bench, comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw, that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) report has found nothing against the AAP. The court, however, directed the government to file a fresh status report in a sealed cover regarding its findings in the matter.

The court reserved the verdict on the plea seeking CBI probe into the past and present foreign funding of AAP in alleged violation of FCRA provisions. “We will take into consideration all the facts and then decide the matter. Judgement reserved,” it said.

Advocate Pranav Sachdeva, appearing for AAP, said the party had not flouted any law in receiving foreign funds and got donations worth Rs 30 crore from Indian citizens only, of which about Rs 8.5 crore came from NRIs. Terming the charges levelled against AAP as “baseless”, he said the party has even written to Supreme Court to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the funding of all major national and regional parties in the country.

The plea, moved before the High Court on February 4, had also sought CBI probe against Home Ministry officials, who in their report had earlier stated that donations made by eight foreign residents to AAP, were not in violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

Challenging the Home Ministry report, advocate M L Sharma, had in an Interlocutory Application, requested that the “sources of the foreign funding to the respondents from other countries in past/current must be verified/probed by CBI under supervision of this court for further action and prosecution in the interest of justice.” 

AAP later demanded an apology from BJP and said that latter had run a campaign against it over the issue during Delhi assembly polls and “misled” the people of the national capital and the country.

“May I ask the Finance Minister of the country (Arun Jaitley) and top leaders of BJP who have been saying that we have been caught red handed and are involved in money laundering? “Will they apologise to the nation for misleading the people of Delhi and maligning the image of AAP,” senior AAP leader Ashutosh said.

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