The increasing prominence of news reports elaborating on the comfortable facilities of protesters at the Delhi border has been raising some eyebrows. Images of the protestors relaxing in high-end massage chairs and eating biryani have propped a single question in everyone’s minds- from where are they getting the funding for this? It turns out that illegal foreign funding during the whole spectacle was galore.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), a farmer organisation which has been at the forefront of organising the protests, has come under scanner by central government authorities. As per reports, The Enforcement Directorate has asked Bhartiya Kisan Union to share details of its foreign funding and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration details. The FCRA stipulates mandatory registration of any outfit receiving foreign funds.
Bhartiya Kisan Union had issued a public appeal demanding financial resources ‘to pursue agitation’, on 6th December. Furthermore, Bhartiya Kisan Union wanted all donations to be transferred in the personal bank account of its general secretary, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan.
Reportedly, the organisation leadership has said it has received an estimated Rs 8 lakh over the last two months from Indian and foreign sources.
According to sources, an email was sent on Saturday to the manager of Punjab and Sind Bank branch at Kokri Kalan village of Moga district, seeking details of the money deposited in the organisations’ bank account. Kokrikalan said, “In the email, it was stated that we should give registration details in respect of these donations from abroad otherwise they will be sent back. The bank manager showed me the email which has been sent by the Forex Department.”
Kokrikalan has further confirmed that his bank account is not registered as per the FCTA, and the forex department of Punjab and Sindh Bank has raised the objection over raising forex. It is pertinent to note that the last date to get the bank account registered expired on Saturday.
Trying to incite public sentiments and twist the narrative, Union president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said, “BKU is being targeted by the central authorities for evoking a massive response from Indians and NRIs. What wrong is there if our supporters working as truck drivers or pursing other labour works send donations from overseas.”
There is nothing wrong with receiving donations, but if they are being syphoned into the country illegally, certainly the authorities will take action. In India, individuals and organisations are barred from receiving forex without having registered first with the Home Ministry. If the prima facie facts are to be believed, BKU will have to send back the contributions received for lack of adherence to FCRA norms.
