IT Dept Raids Centre for Policy Research in Delhi Over Political Funding Charges
Raids on at the Centre for Policy Research office. Image Courtesy: NDTV
The Income Tax Department on Wednesday arrived at the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research to conduct searches, according to reports.
The raid at the independent and non-profit public policy thinktank is related to simultaneous searches being conducted in Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat, etc. "over funding of more than 20 registered but non-recognised political parties", the NDTV reported citing sources.
The PTI reported that at least 110 locations in Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and some other states are being searched in connection to alleged dubious financial transactions of registered unrecognised political parties (RUPP).
The IT department has launched a coordinated action against certain RUPPs, their promoters and linked entities to investigate the source of their income and expenditure, sources told PTI. Further, some other instances of political funding through alleged illegal means are being investigated as part of the action, they said. The police are also assisting the tax teams.
The thinktank says on its website that as it is recognised as a not-for-profit society by the Government of India, contributions made to the organisation are exempted from tax. CPR says it receives grants from various domestic and international sources, including foundations, corporate philanthropy, governments, and multilateral agencies. It also made an account of annual finances and grants available on its website.
CPR was established in 1973 and previously headed by academician Pratap Bhanu Mehta, who is also known as a prominent critic of the BJP government. The present chairperson of CPR is Meenakshi Gopinath, a political scientist who has in the past taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University and was the principal of Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi.
On its website, the thinktank describes itself as "a non-partisan, independent institution dedicated to conducting research that contributes to high quality scholarship, better policies, and a more robust public discourse about the issues that impact life in India".
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