AAP's donation records incorrect: I-T dept to EC

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 Rs 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 the last 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.

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 party are of about Rs 27 crore and has added that the Treasurer of the party has acknowledged "certain errors" in these records in their communication with the taxman. The I-T report, they said, has suggested that the violations are in contravention of tax laws that govern political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

They said this could form the basis for the cancellation of the tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to AAP and could also follow a stringent action of de-registration of the party, but all such decisions are the domain of the Election Commission exclusively. Referring to the development, AAP's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a "dirty trick" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered due to fear of loss in Punjab and Goa, which go to polls tomorrow.

"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.  The AAP is fancying its chances in Punjab, where it is faced with a triangular contest withCongress and incumbent SAD-BJP combine. In Goa too, the AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP's prospects.

Hitting out at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, AAP's national treasurer Raghav Chadha said the charges were being levelled as BJP was fearing a rout in Punjab and Goa. "Fearing a rout Jaitley led IT dept is minting fiction. People of Punjab and Goa will give a befitting reply by overwhelmingly voting for AAP," he tweeted.