AAP to approach SC, ask for SIT probe into funding for all parties

Faced with allegations of receiving funds from “dubious” companies, the AAP on Monday night demanded a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe funding of all three major parties in Delhi polls and said it was ready to face any action if found guilty.

5 AAP leaders will go to SC today at 10.30 am to submit an application for an SIT probe into funding of BJP, Cong n AAP

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 3, 2015

Asserting that it adopted “total transparency” in its funding, AAP’s Yogendra Yadav in a late evening press conference accused BJP of attempting to influence the voters ahead of the 7 February polls by bringing out false allegations.

He was responding to allegations by AAP Volunteer Action Manch (AVAM), a breakaway group of the Aam Aadmi Party, which accused the Kejriwal-led party of receiving Rs 2 crores last year through four “dubious” companies.

“AAP demands constitution of an SIT to probe funding of all three main political parties (AAP, Congress and BJP). The SIT should be monitored by the Supreme Court as we already know how the government can manipulate a probe,” he said while daring the parties to disclose their fundings publicly.

AAP leader Ashutosh took to Twitter to attack the BJP and asked the party to disclose the source of its funds.

BJP should answer why it is not disclosing the source of its 80% fund !!!

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) February 2, 2015

He also said that AAP will write letters to BJP and Congress presidents requesting to cooperate in SIT probe about their fundings for ‘clean politics’.

AAP requests Sonia Gandhi and Amit Shah to cooperate and come clean on party finding/people should know who is funding whom.

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) February 3, 2015

AAP appeals to all parties to make a new beginning/make funding transparent and corruption free elections.

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) February 3, 2015

And if any party's fund found dubious, party's recognition be withdrawn/should not be allowed to contest. I hope BJP/Congress will accept.

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) February 3, 2015

Yadav said “strangely instead of inquiring against AAP, the BJP ministers are today making allegations even after sitting on the files for eight months.” He said the party had anticipated such activities by BJP and Kejriwal had warned about it a few days ago.

“Ahead of last assembly polls also, the BJP had brought out a CD which turned out to be false later. They do not allow politics of honesty,” Yadav said. “BJP today knows it does not have the courage to stand before the public. That is why they are adopting such measures,” he said, adding that if AAP had anything to hide it would not have put the funding details on its website.

On the midnight timing of realisation of the cheques into AAP’s account, he said it was done as per an automated software which updates credit of all the cheques submitted at a particular time of each day. The AAP also challenged the government to probe the allegations by any central investigating agency including the CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

AAP leader Ashish Khetan said the party was going to write a letter to the Chief Justice of India to set up an SIT to probe funding of the three political parties.

“The probe must cover complete donations of all the three parties including the ten and thousands of crores that the BJP and Congress have been receiving,” he claimed.

“Since it is the matter of utmost importance vis-a-vis our democracy, we are writing a letter to Chief Justice of India requesting him to set up an SIT and monitor the probe,” he said.

Yadav also dared BJP President Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to come to the Ramlila Maidan here with BJP’s funding details for an open debate.

“We are also writing to the SIT investigating the black money issue to include funding of political parties in their probe,” he said.