NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the central govt on a petition difficult retrospective amendments made to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 1976. The PIL claims amendments have been supposed to offer protection to suspect political donations through positive NRI-led companies to the Congress and BJP.
The plea, filed through the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), used to be argued through activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan. It used to be filed through lawyer Neha Rathi. A bench, led through CJI Dipak Misra, issued the notices.
The govt will now must record a proper reply protecting the amendments. The amendments have been made after a Delhi High Court judgement, delivered on March 28, 2014, which had declared as illegal donations made through some NRI-led companies reminiscent of Vedanta to the BJP and Congress.
Under the regulation, as it stood then, political parties have been disallowed from taking donations from international entities. Once the High Court ruled against them and requested the Election Commission and the federal government to act against them within six months, the central govt brought in the retrospective amendments making these donations post-facto felony. The Finance Acts 2016 and 2018 had made positive amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, converting the 1976 regulation with effect from April 1, 2018.
The ADR petition argued that the amendments have been an try to overturn the judgement passed through the Delhi High Court protecting the BJP and Congress guilty of receiving international funding. These amendments, it said, have opened doors to limitless political donations from international companies thereby legitimising financial contributions from international assets. The retrospective amendments changed the definition of what constitutes a international corporate in any such manner that key beneficiaries would now not face felony scrutiny for donations with effect from September 26, 2010. The BJP and Congress had challenged the High Court judgement in the top courtroom best to withdraw it later. Instead, the federal government had taken legislative steps to circumvent the ruling and legitimise the funding receivedfrom in another country.
The plea, filed through the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), used to be argued through activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan. It used to be filed through lawyer Neha Rathi. A bench, led through CJI Dipak Misra, issued the notices.
The govt will now must record a proper reply protecting the amendments. The amendments have been made after a Delhi High Court judgement, delivered on March 28, 2014, which had declared as illegal donations made through some NRI-led companies reminiscent of Vedanta to the BJP and Congress.
Under the regulation, as it stood then, political parties have been disallowed from taking donations from international entities. Once the High Court ruled against them and requested the Election Commission and the federal government to act against them within six months, the central govt brought in the retrospective amendments making these donations post-facto felony. The Finance Acts 2016 and 2018 had made positive amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, converting the 1976 regulation with effect from April 1, 2018.
The ADR petition argued that the amendments have been an try to overturn the judgement passed through the Delhi High Court protecting the BJP and Congress guilty of receiving international funding. These amendments, it said, have opened doors to limitless political donations from international companies thereby legitimising financial contributions from international assets. The retrospective amendments changed the definition of what constitutes a international corporate in any such manner that key beneficiaries would now not face felony scrutiny for donations with effect from September 26, 2010. The BJP and Congress had challenged the High Court judgement in the top courtroom best to withdraw it later. Instead, the federal government had taken legislative steps to circumvent the ruling and legitimise the funding receivedfrom in another country.
Supreme Court notices to Centre over foreign funding to BJP, Congress
![Supreme Court notices to Centre over foreign funding to BJP, Congress]()
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July 03, 2018
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