CHICAGO: A Satyagraha movement launched by Munish Raizada is now getting momentum and wider support. Munish is a medical doctor and a suspended member of Aam Aadmi Party who is seeking details from the AAM Party to make public details of donations that it has received.
Munish started the ‘Chanda Bandh Satyagraha’ (No list, no donation campaign) from Raj Ghat in New Delhi on Dec. 24 and Anna Hazare, a Gandhian and a freedom fighter, has extended his support to his campaign.
Earlier, he had written an open letter to AAP on the Foundation Day (November 26) with an appeal to disclose donations of the party in a week’s time.
It may be noted that the Aam Aadmi Party removed the list of donations from its website in June, 2016. It coincided with the party receiving three notices from Income Tax Department asking for explanation of certain discrepancies. The notice states, “The donation entries in the AAP website don’t match the Election Commission records; please furnish documentary evidence to explain the issue.”
Raizada stated that AAP came into being with a claim that it would be a truly public funded party and will honestly put all its donations in the public domain. It was this core principle that attracted thousands of people to volunteer for the party. He worked in various capacities within the party. He was suspended in November 2015 for raising this issue in public.
The Munish movement demands all donations in public domain. Donations should be searchable by name (and not only via receipt number). Missing balance sheets after 2014 should be made public and inquiry should be ordered into the dubious donations of R 2 crore that the party received in 2014.
Kejriwal had promised an inquiry into this if came in to power. Raizada believes that by hiding donations made to the party, AAP is lending credence to the speculation that it may be consuming black money. It is high time that Kejriwal ‘de-monetizes’ the hidden money within the party by displaying transparent funding.
Those who want AAM party to come clean on this issue believe that since the party has been keeping mum on the funding issue, the volunteers, members, and supporters have no option but to launch a Satyagraha and take a pledge not to donate any further.
Madhu Patel
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