AAP submits 17-volume, 5000+ page reply to EC

NEW DELHI: AAP on Friday sent 17-volume, 5,000+ page response to the Election Commission which raised questions over donation to the party. "The issues raised by Election Commission are unfounded and do not have any substance, as they will find in our reply," told AAP National Treasurer and MP ND Gupta to the Millennium Post. Gupta submitted a detailed and comprehensive reply to Election Commission for the show cause notice issued to AAP on September 11 this year. AAP leader Raghav Chadha tweeted, "Happy weekend to everyone, except the guy at Election Commission who sent a notice to AAP and has to read our 17-volume, 5000+ page response. Sorry for the canceled plans."

EC had asked to explain donation discrepancies filed by the party, according to reports. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in January had written to the EC that the donations filed by AAP with the income tax department were different from what was filed with the commission.

According to sources, the tax body's chief, Sushil Chandra, wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti on 3 January, informing him of the adverse assessment order on AAP's finances for the financial year 2014-15 (the assessment year 2015-16), saying that this violates the Representation of the People Act of 1951.

The provision mandates all political parties to inform tax authorities of details of donations of more than Rs 20,000. Parties found violating this provision are barred from receiving any tax relief. Earlier in November, the Income Tax Department, in a notice to the AAP, had claimed that the party had not disclosed income worth Rs 13 crore and had also not recorded the details of 462 donors who gave Rs 6.26 crore collectively, reported Scroll. AAP has also been accused of not reporting donations worth Rs 29.13 crore from donors contributing more than Rs 20,000 each in its report submitted to the EC in 2015.