I-T dept. faults AAP fund records

Kejriwal claims it is a “dirty trick” by Modi to get AAP de-registered

under scanner: Children wear masks of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal during a public rally in Amritsar

The Income-Tax department has claimed to have found that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations amounting to about ₹27 crore have discrepancies and are incorrect.

In a report submitted to the Election Commission, the department, which has been investigating the donations list of the party for over an year, has said that the records of donations made to the AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 had “factual discrepancies” and did not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors.

Contravention of laws

Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their charted accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per law.

Officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the party were of about ₹27 crore and added that the Treasurer of the party had acknowledged “certain errors” in these records in communication with the taxman.

The I-T report, they said, had suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that govern political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of de-registration of the party, but all such decisions were the domain of the Election Commission exclusively.

Dirty tricks: Kejriwal

Referring to the development, AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a “dirty trick” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP de-registered due to fear of loss in Punjab and Goa, which go to polls on Saturday.

“Modiji’s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator,” he tweeted. — PTI