No donation given to Kejriwal for political activities: Murthy

When Kejriwal approached me in September 2012 asking for financial assistance, I declined: Murthy, Infosys founder

After Tatas, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy today said he has not given donation to Arvind Kejriwal for political activities and had declined a request from him for financial assistance two months ago.

Murthy had in 2008 agreed to give Kejriwal's Public Cause Research Foundation Rs 25 lakh per year for five years and brought Tata Social Welfare Trust on board to donate an equal amount for the same period to raise awareness about RTI.

"When Kejriwal approached me in September 2012 asking for financial assistance, I declined. Hence I have not financially supported Kejriwal's political activities," Murthy said in a statement.

After splitting with Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, Kejriwal has announced the setting up of a political party to fight corruption and bring in change.

In the statement, Murthy said Kejriwal approached him in 2008 seeking funds for instituting awards to recognise the efforts of officials, NGO and public in the field of RTI.

"I sent Rs 25 lakh for 2008 and 2009 and Rs 37 lakh for 2010 and Rs 25 lakh for 2011," he said, adding the additional funds of Rs 12 lakh in 2010 were required to give extra awards, for honouring families RTI activists who were murdered and travel costs of awardees.

"However, Kejriwal wrote to me in May 2011 that the Secretariat of the Foundation was busy in drafting Jan Lokpal Bill and that they would not be able to have the awards in 2011. He also asked me whether it was OK to use this amount of Rs 25 lakh towards the secretarial expenses of the Jan Lokpal Bill effort," he said.

Murthy said he agreed to his request as he believed that the country needed a "moderate but effective" Lokpal Bill.

However, Tatas said yesterday it refused to accept the request and PCRF returned the grant of Rs 25 lakh for the year 2011. There have been no further grants from TSWT to the foundation, the statement said.