Apr 20, 2024
Apr 20, 2024
Delhi Chief Minister Mrs. Sheila Dikshit has demanded a probe into the funding of the Aam Admi Party (AAP). Home Minister Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde has promised a proper probe though he has cautioned that it might take time because it has to be thorough. AAP President Mr. Arvind Kejriwal has claimed that already his party has received Rs. 19 crore which is just one crore short of the party’s target to fight the polls with Rs. 20 crore. The party has listed on its website on the Internet details of payments by all donors. The source of the money and the identity of the donors can be investigated.
According to Indian law political parties cannot receive foreign funding. The AAP has received a substantial amount from Indian NRIs abroad. The party has claimed that no donation from any foreign citizen has been accepted. All the donors are Indian citizens. If an NRI sends money from abroad that is converted into Indian currency for payment can it be deemed as foreign funding? That is a question for legal authorities to decide.
However this legal technicality which might well favour AAP is the least of the worries surrounding the party’s funding. Mrs. Dikshit has rightly demanded an explanation from the party to clear the mystery about the source of its funds which has also exercised this writer’s mind.
The Congress and the BJP have a transparent policy for fund collection. All the black marketers, the scamsters, the hoarders and corrupt businessmen fund them. The money to fight elections is overwhelmingly black. This open tradition of fighting elections has been honestly and transparently practiced for decades.
Now suddenly the AAP has collected 19 crore which equals almost the expense of contesting just about one Lok Sabha constituency provided it is an average low profile seat.
How can AAP obtain such funds?
The party has only honest citizens and no scamsters, black marketers and hoarders among its members. How is it possible for honest citizens to collect 19 crore?
The government’s policies have ensured that honest people have not enough money to even survive let alone donate to a party. How then did these honest citizens succeed in accounting for 19 crore even if there were thousands of them spread across 78 countries and all the states of the Indian Union?
This is the mystery exercising the minds of the Delhi Chief Minister and this writer.
Mr. Kejriwal must explain!
12-Nov-2013
More by : Dr. Rajinder Puri
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Nineteen Crores is a very small amount which the party has received of which a part of it is from the NRIs. You must remember that one has access to Arvind ji at any time and this closeness results in further cooperation financially and otherwise. There are many doctors like me who have come from USA and UK on leave so they can campaign with him during these days. Let me point the stark difference from Madhavrao's days at Gwalior when nobody could talk to him nor would he ever call u to assist him during his election campaign |
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Nice satire! Politics is an amazing arena. People in power do things that totally defy logic. Congress and BJP live in a paradigm of their own. Normally you would think that the last thing they would hit AAP with is campaign financing. People who live in glass house should not throw stones at others. UPA is a coalition without any leadership. Manmohan Singh has amply demonstrated that he is an ineffective leader. Sonia Gandhi is mostly a mystery with questionable intentions. Rahul Gandhi is plain inconsequential when it comes to leadership. It is no wonder that UPA keeps making one blunder after another during these difficult times. It is so disheartening in retrospect that we are being governed by these people. They have no clear direction and strategy to fight the approaching elections. They will drown in their own pool and in the process will end up doing the only favor to this country. |
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19 crore is not big money in these days compared to big parties collecting hundreds of crores. Two months back i attended a rally of AAP in bangalore and even i donated two hundreds rupee, like that i donated many times since anna hazare movement to them. and that rally was attended by around 5 thousand people, and i believe almost everyone were donating. i saw a big queue for donation. some body donated one day salary, some donated one month salary.At the end of rally they announced on the stage some 20-30 lakh rupees has been collected. Like that so many rallies and online payments. and i believe all donation is pure white money and if it is foreign funded, it is purely by NRI's. But my questions is "Ulta choor kotwal ko dhante", even Congress, BJP and other big political parties collect fund illegally, and also take money from big corporates. they will not get probed by govt. Recently they denied RTI for political parties, but they ask for probe for small party, which is very transparent in collecting fund, which display every name of person who donated in their website, why is this double standard? |
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Two decades ago BJP also had no scamsters, it was overwhelmingly popular party among NRIs, had honest and reasonable intentions, their Prime Minister - Mr. Vajpayee even openly touted for zero tolerance to corruption in initial days of power. They initially demanded ban on cash payment in funding to political party... Could you please predict future of AAP ? |
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In India there are mainly 3 types of money & cash circulating-White money, Black money & last but not the least " SAFFRON MONEY " [ mostly unaccounted ]. The Amount of Black money & saffron money circulating or hidden is mind boggling. The Black money is often deposited in Temples & Religious trusts[ Many of which are controlled by congress & BJP etc Politicians ] & becomes Saffron money or Kesar Dhan....Congress & BJP get large donations not only of Black money but also of Saffron money....The AAP is a newcomer in the business of collecting donations & they have been reasonably clean & transparent..This worries the TWO MAIN CRIMINAL & CORRUPT PARTIES & therefore the inquiry. |