Foreign calls, SMSes for AAP: HC asks Centre to file reply

The plea was moved by advocate M L Sharma whose petition against the alleged foreign funding to AAP is also pending

The Delhi High Court today asked Centre to file reply on a plea seeking inquiry into alleged telephone calls and SMSes made from the US to Delhiites seeking support for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the assembly polls.

A bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog asked the Centre to files its reponse on the application seeking direction to the government to inquire and file their report about the role of "a team from America" in the Delhi Assembly elections.

The plea was moved by advocate M L Sharma whose petition against the alleged foreign funding to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also pending before the high court.

The application said that the Kejriwal and his associates were being "fully promoted/supported by a USA group Ford Foundation since long and they are active in India in the name of non-residential Indians".

Citing a media report, the application said "from November to December 2013, during the Assembly polls, more than six lakh telehphone calls billing to Rs 10 crore and 300 SMSes were made from Los Angeles to Delhi voters to support and cast vote in favour of AAP".

It said the telephone calls and SMSes were made without any permission from the Home Ministry or appropriate government authorities and are against national security, amounting to treason.

The plea also seeks to know whether foreign interference in the election process is allowed under the Indian Constitution.