AAP foreign funding not in contravention of law: Government to High Court

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).