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!