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HC seeks reply from EC, home ministry on foreign funding

Posted on November 20, 2013 from Uttar Pradesh ι Report #70

Lucknow, Nov 20 (IANS) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Wednesday sought response from the union home ministry and the Election Commission on foreign contributions made to political parties.

The bench of Chief Justice Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud and Justice Rituraj Awasthi sought response with regards to action taken so far on a complaint filed by petitioner Nutan Thakur.

In the PIL filed by the social activist and member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Thakur had prayed to enquire about foreign contributions to the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties.

The petition called the home ministry's action against the AAP "one-sided".

She said she had sent a complaint Oct 26, 2012 to the home ministry regarding the Election Commission having asked the ministry to probe the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 by Congress and BJP by receiving donations of about Rs.5 crore each from Vedanta Group subsidiaries Sterlite Industries and Sesa Goa but no action has been taken so far in these complaints.

The petitioner prayed for enquiry of all political parties, including Congress and BJP, regarding every foreign contribution received by them. The high court has fixed Nov 28 as the next date of hearing.