Shinde says government probing foreign funding for Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said on Monday that the Central Government has ordered a probe into the source of foreign funding received by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is set to make its political debut in the December 4 Delhi state election.

"Whatever the source of funding is, which country it is coming from, to probe this we have given it to the ministry. We had got complaints about foreign funding and we are investigating. It takes some time," Shinde said.

Responding to Shinde's move, Kejriwal said:"The Congress is scared of the AAP. Let them probe us. Finish the probe in 48 hours. But let them also probe how the Congress got funds worth Rs. 2000 crore. Let them also investigate the BJP's funding."

Kejriwal and his AAP alleged that they were being targetted as opinion polls had predicted better prospects for the first-timers than earlier believed.

Reports appearing in the media are claiming that the AAP has collected around Rs. 19 crore in donations from 63,000 people, ranging from rickshaw pullers, to traders, industrialists and overseas Indians.

Last month, the Delhi High Court had asked the Centre to look into the accounts of the AAP and investigate their source of funding. The government was also asked to file a status report by December 10.

The court's order was in response to a petition filed by one M L Sharma.

The AAP has said that their donations are detailed on their website and that every rupee has been accounted for.

On Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had criticised Kejriwal for repeatedly targeting her, with a counter-question on his funding.

"Where do you (AAP) get all the money from? You can call me a liar, or I can call you a thief. But is there any proof to say that I am a liar? But there is proof to say that you are a thief," Dikshit was quoted, as saying by a news agency.