In a fresh trouble to Delhi Chief Minister Aravind Kejriwal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reported to the Home Ministry that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received foreign funding totaling Rs 7.08 crore between 2014 and 2022.
This funding reportedly came from countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Oman, violating the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), Representation of the People Act (RPA), and Indian Penal Code (IPC).
As per the existing law, political parties cannot receive foreign funds. Reports said, the federal probe agency has recovered some documents and emails in this regard during its money laundering probe against Punjab AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and some others. The AAP is in power in both Delhi and Punjab.
The ED has shared the fresh inputs with the MHA and sought an investigation into them.The ED claimed AAP concealed the real identities of donors to circumvent restrictions on foreign funding for political parties. Funds were deposited directly into AAP’s IDBI bank account and accounts of party leaders, including MLA Durgesh Pathak.
Investigations revealed that Durgesh Pathak collected funds from an event in Canada in 2016 and used the money for personal benefit. Multiple donations from the same passport numbers, credit cards, email IDs, and mobile numbers were identified, indicating coordinated efforts to bypass legal restrictions.
The revelations emerged during an investigation into a smuggling case in Punjab’s Fazilka, where drugs were smuggled from Pakistan to India. Documents detailing AAP’s foreign funding were found during a search of premises linked to AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
Khaira admitted to foreign fundraising campaigns in the USA before the 2017 Punjab assembly elections. National Secretary Pankaj Gupta, summoned by the ED, acknowledged AAP’s receipt of foreign funds through checks and online portals. Analysis of Gupta’s data indicated violations of foreign donation laws, with multiple donors using shared passport numbers and mobile numbers.