Press Release    

Date: 28-03-14

 

BJP, Congress guilty of taking foreign funds: Delhi HC

 

Petitioners: EAS Sarma and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)

 

Respondents: Union of India (Respondent 1) and ECI (Respondent 2), INC (Respondent 3) and BJP (Respondent 4)

 

New Delhi, March. 28 — In a landmark judgment, Delhi High Court today held major National political parties BJP and Congress guilty of taking foreign funding and violating the provisions of FCRA and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Election Commission of India (ECI) to take action against the two parties within six months.

 

The Bench comprising Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Jayant Nath has observed that these political parties have taken donations from Vedanta Resources, registered in England and Wales, and its subsidiaries. The Bench also rejected the stand taken by Ministry of Home Affairs which said that FCRA has not been violated. The judgement draws attention to the donations made to INC and BJP for the period up to the year 2009.

Sterlite, Sesa Goa, Public and Political Awareness Trust and Vedanta The Madras Aluminium Co Ltd are all held by the same corporate entity and were found guilty. They have also received mining rights and large tracts of land from the government. It needs to be investigated whether these illegal donations are linked to these business deals.

 

Dow Chemical Company, which now owns Union Carbide Corporation responsible for the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, was also found guilty.

 

The judgement was announced on a petition filed in public interest by Mr. EAS Sarma, Former Secy, Govt of India, and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in Delhi High Court in January 2013. The petitioners asserted that there is a blatant violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 FCRA) by the two major National political parties INC and BJP. The petitioners have welcomed the judgement.

 

After 10 hearings, the judgement was reserved on February 28, 2014 and it was delivered on March 28, 2014.

 

The allegations were based on the annual reports of Vedanta and its subsidiaries M/s Sterlite Industries India Ltd. and M/s Sesa Goa Ltd wherein they declared donations of several crores of rupees to INC and BJP.

 

Section 4(1)(e) of FCRA, 1976 and Section 3 of FCRA, 2010 categorically prohibit any financial contribution from any foreign source or company to a political party registered in India. Violation of the same is a serious criminal offence. Section 29(b) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 also prohibits political parties from taking donations from Government Companies and from a foreign source. Besides, Section 293A of Company Act, 1956 states that any company found to have made such a donation will be penalized three times the amount contributed to the political party, along with imprisonment of the authorizing officer of up to 3 years.

 

Pronouncing the judgement, the Bench observed in para 73 of the judgement “…We have no hesitation in arriving at the view that prima-facie the acts of the respondents inter-se, as highlighted in the present petition, clearly fall foul of the ban imposed under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 as the donations accepted by the political parties from Sterlite and Sesa accrue from Foreign Sources within the meaning of law.”

 

The court has issued two directions in para 74 of the judgement:

  • The first direction would concern the donations made by State Trading Corporation of India and Metals and Minerals Corporation of India to INC in respect of the donations made to National Students Union of India (NSUI). Both MHA and ECI have been directed to investigate the matter to find out whether the same is a “stray incident and possibly a mistake or otherwise.”
  • The second direction would concern the donations made to political parties by not only Sterlite and Sesa but other similarly situated companies/corporations. Both MHA and ECI have been asked to “relook and reappraise” the receipts of the political parties and identify foreign contributions received by foreign sources.

 

For detailed information on foreign contribution and funding received by INC and BJP during the period 2003-04 to 2011-12, refer to the ADR’s analysis in the Table below:–

Foreign funding to political parties [FY 2003-04 to 2011-12]

Indian National Congress:

S. No

Name

Complete Address of the Contributing Person / Company

Total Donation (In Rs.)

Amount of Contribution (In Rs.)

Mode of Contribution (Cheque / DD / Cash)

Financial Year

1

Sterlite Industries India LtdDhanraj Mahal 5Th Floor Csm Road Apollo Bunder Mumbai-39

  6,00,00,000

1,00,00,000

Cheque No- 486677,dt-27.01.2005 HDFC Bank ltd silvasa

2004-2005

Business Square,C –Wing 2nd Floor, Andheri-Kurla Road Chakala, Andheri (East) Mumbai-400093

5,00,00,000

Ch.No.091394/Dtd.02.04.2009  ICICI Bank, Mumbai

2009-2010

2

Sesa Goa LimitedSesa Ghar, Pottl, Panaji, Goa

  2,78,50,000

5,00,000

Cheque No 238460 Dtd. 31.05.2005 Canara Bank Panaji, Goa

2005-2006

Sesa Ghor ,Panji Goa

12,50,000

 Canara Bank  Panaji Goa

2007-2008

Sesa Ghor ,Panji Goa

15,00,000

Canara Bank Panaji Goa

2007-2008

Sesa Ghar, 20 EDC Complex , Panjim, Goa-403001

30,00,000

Ch.No.548287/Dtd.15.04.2009Canara Bank Panaji, Goa

2009-2010

Sesa Ghar, Patto Panaji- GOA

2,00,00,000

RTGS, ICICI Bank, Panaji

2011-2012

Sesa Ghar, Pottl, Panaji, Goa

2,00,000

Cheque No 913411 Dtd 20.02.2006 Canara Bank Mapusa, Goa

2005-2006

Sesa Ghar Patto, Panaji Goa

2,00,000

Cheque Canara Bank Panaji

2006-2007

Sesaghar Patto Panaji

5,00,000

Cheque  HDFC bank panaji

2004-2005

Sesa Ghar Patto Panaji

5,00,000

Cheque  Canara bank panaji

2004-2005

Sesa Ghar Patto Panaji

2,00,000

Cheque  Canara bank panaji

2004-2005

3

Solaries Holdings Ltd.First India Place, Tower C, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon, Haryana-122002

  1,00,00,000

50,00,000

Ch.No.512059/Dtd.21.03.2009    Standard Chartered Bank, Narain Manzil, 23, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi-110001

2009-2010

First India Place, Tower C, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon, Haryana-122002

50,00,000

Ch.No.512060/Dtd.21.03.2009   Standard Chartered Bank, Narain Manzil, 23, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi-110001

2009-2010

4

Hyatt regency4/11 Shanti Niketan New Delhi

5,00,000

5,00,000

Cheque No- 046981,dt-04.05.2004IDBI bank K.G. marg new delhi

2004-2005

Total

Rs 9,83,00,000 (~Rs 9.83 crores)

Table: Details of foreign funding to INC between 2003-04 and 2011-12

 

Bharatiya Janata Party:

S. No.

Name

Complete Address of the Contributing Person / Company

Total Donation (In Rs.)

Amount of Contribution (In Rs.)

Mode of Contribution (Cheque / DD / Cash)

Financial Year

1

Public & Political Awareness Trust1/1/2, Chnchpada, Silvasa14,50,00,000

5,00,00,000

ch. 486377HDFC BANK,NEW DELHI

2003-2004

1/1/2, Chinchpada, Silvasa-396230 (D & NG)

5,00,00,000

RTGS Through HDFC Bank

2011-2012

Silvasa

2,00,00,000

486381 HDFC Bank New Delhi

2004-2005

Silvasa

1,50,00,000

Ch.no. 486678,79, HDFC bank ltd silvasa

2004-2005

Dadra & Nagar Haveli

50,00,000

Ch.no. 486378 HDFC bank silvasa

2004-2005

Padra & Nagar Haveli

50,00,000

Ch.. 486376  HDFC BANK,SILVASA

2003-2004

2

Vedanta The Madras Aluminium Co Ltd

    3,50,00,000

3,00,00,000

104791   ICICI Bank

2009-2010

50,00,000

104792   ICICI Bank

2009-2010

3

Sesa Goa LimitedSesa ghor 20 EDC complex patto

    1,41,50,000

5,00,000

Cheque No.  362506, Canara Bank Panaji

2004-2005

Sesa ghor 20 EDC complex patto

2,00,000

Cheque No.  364369, Canara Bank Panaji

2004-2005

 Sesa. Ghor  20 EDC Complex Pattc

5,00,000

238464 Canara Bank, Panaji

2005-2006

SESA GOA LTD. SESA GHOR 20 EDC COMPLEX PATTO, PANAJI-GOA

2,00,000

CHEQUE NO. 913853 CANARA. BANK. PANAJI

2006-2007

20 EDC Complex Panaji Goa

15,00,000

Cheque No.-  893723 Canara Bank Panaji

2007-2008

20 EDC Compiex Patto Panaji Goa

12,50,000

Chaque No 541344 Canara Bank Panaji

2007-2008

20 E D Complex Patto Panji, Goa

50,00,000

202831   ICICI Bank

2009-2010

P O  BOX 125, SESA GHOR 20 EDC Complex Patto , Panji Goa – 403001

10,00,000

22753   ICICI Bank

2009-2010

15,00,000

041450 ICCI Bank Ltd.Panji

2011-2012

P.O.Box 125 ,Sesa Ghor 20 EDC Complex Patto Panaji –Goa  403001

25,00,000

042277 ICICI Bank Ltd.

2011-2012

4

DOW CHEMICAL INT, P. LTD.CORPORATE PARK. UNIT NO 1, V.N. PURAV MARS MUMBAI         1,00,000

1,00,000

CHEQUE NO. 9189 CITY BANK. MUMBAI

2006-2007

Total

19,42,50,000 (~Rs 19.42 crores)

                                 Table: Details of Foreign Funding of BJP between 2003-04 and 2011-12 from all over India

 

 

 

 

 

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