Foreign funding: SC to hear plea of Congress on September 14

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The final hearing on the CongressParty’s plea challenging a Delhi High Court verdict holding itand BJP prima facie guilty of violating the law on foreignfunding, would start in the Supreme Court from September 14. While fixing the date for final hearing, an apex courtbench, comprising Justices J S Khehar and Arun Mishra, todaymade it clear that no adjournment would be granted in thecase. The High Court had said that by receiving donations fromUK-based Vedanta Resources’ subsidiaries, the two mainstreampolitical parties had violated the law concerned. The Congress had sought an immediate stay on the March28, 2014 High Court verdict which had directed the Centre andElection Commission (EC) to take appropriate action againstthem within six months. Challenging the order, the party had contended that theHigh Court had erred in interpreting the law and "there is noconcealment or suppression of such contribution which wereduly reflected in the returns submitted to the ElectionCommission". It had contended that Vedanta was owned by an Indiancitizen, Anil Aggarwal, and its subsidiaries were incorporatedhere. Hence, they were not foreign sources. "The prohibition to make any contribution to a candidateor a political party or office-bearers thereof relates toforeign citizens and Indian entities, if more than one half ofthe nominal value of share capital of such entities are heldeither singly or in the aggregate by citizens of a foreigncountry," the petition had said. The High Court had held that Vedanta was a foreigncompany as per the Companies Act and therefore, the AnilAggarwal-owned firm and its subsidiaries, Sterlite and Sesa,were foreign sources as per the Foreign Contribution(Regulation) Act (FCRA). The verdict was delivered on a PIL by a NGO, Associationfor Democratic Reforms and E A S Sarma, a former Secretary inthe Government, who had alleged that the two parties hadviolated the Representation of the People Act and FCRA bytaking donations from government companies and foreignsources. PTI PKS MNL SJK RKSARC