IT dept notice to AAP citing discrepancies in donors' list

AAP had removed the donors' list from its website

The Income Tax department has issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party, citing discrepancies in the donors' list submitted to tax officials and what had been put up on the party website.

Terming the notice as "malicious", AAP alleged that the BJP-led NDA government is harassing the party and targeting its donors.

AAP national treasurer Raghav Chadha said, "Initially, there was an inadvertent error in the list submitted to the income tax department, which has been rectified in the revised ITR after receiving the notice."

"To revise an IT return is the legitimate right of a party. Not even single donation is concealed by Aam Aadmi Party. We maintain 100 per cent transparency in donors' details and the amount we receive. The IT department had issued us a notice and we have revised the IT return," he said.

The party had removed the donors' list from its website claiming that its donors were being harassed by tax officials.

Attacking AAP over the issue, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari alleged that the funding details of Aam Aadmi Party are "manipulated".

"AAP seeking withdrawal of its accounts submitted to the authorities vindicates our stand. Arvind Kejriwal should make things clear right away as he has all through claimed to be champion of transparency in polity," Tiwari said.

Hitting back, Kejriwal tweeted, "AAP receives less than 8% of its donations in cash against 70-80% cash donations by Cong-BJP."

Another AAP leader blamed technical glitches for the error.

"While we put all donations on the website, at times there are some technical errors. For instance, there have been cases in which a donor has tried to make payment, but the transaction could not be completed. In that case, our website reflected that payment has been made, but we did not receive money in our bank account," the leader said.