Afroz Alam Sahil, BeyondHeadlines
New Delhi. Every time you look at funds of political parties you find something interesting and startling. It seems that political parties are eager to accept funds without caring about where are they coming from. Now is the turn of the Communist Party of India.
The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) states that no political party or candidate can receive any fund from any foreign source. Foreign source here doesn’t include Non Resident Indians.
The Communist Party of India in year 2008-09 received Rs. 3,50,000 via cheque from a Canadian Address. The Donor Krishna Syal W/0 Nazir Rizvi resides at 6653- Lardar Court Delta BC Canada.
Although the name suggests Indian connection but CPI in its records submitted to Election Commission of India has not given the Indian Passport Number of the donor to certify that she is a Non Resident Indian. FCRA clearly states that no Indian political party or election candidate can receive any funds from foreign source which includes any foreign address, organization, club, NGO, body or government.
Earlier in Year 2006-07 BJP had accepted one lakh rupees as donation from controversial Dow Chemicals which has caused political uproar in Madhya Pradesh. The then leader of opposition in MP Assembly Jamuna Devi in year 2008 wrote to ECI to cancel registration of BJP in violation of rules.
We cannot ascertain that the donor in this case is a Canadian Citizen or foreign source but CPI also has failed to prove that she is an NRI.
(This report is fourth in series of Political Parties and their funding, soon we will share information about funding of Other Parties)
First Story: http://beyondheadlines.in/2011/12/didi-and-behenji-ignore-rules-to-hide-maya/
Second Story: http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/01/most-parties-shy-away-from-sharing-funding-details/
Third Story: http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/01/gujarat-government-donated-to-modi%e2%80%99s-bjp/
