The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), the largest independent farmers’ organisation leading the ongoing protest against the three contentious farm laws, has been put under the scanner by a central agency to know where it is receiving its funds from.
A department under the Centre on Sunday, 20 December, asked BKU to submit its registration details which allow it to receive the foreign funds.
“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,” General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said, according to PTI.
BKU president Joginder Singh Ugrahan has alleged that their union is being targeted by the central government.
“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,” Hindustan Times quoted Joginder Singh as saying.
BKU has received nearly Rs 8 lakh in past two months from NRIs and Indians in support of the ongoing farmers’ protest, but the donations from Indians and the diaspora have not been calculated separately, the report added.
Earlier in December, BKU had issued public appeal demanding financial help to pursue the agitation. The union wanted donations to be transferred into the personal bank account of its general secretary of Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, reported Hindustan Times.
Kokrikalan’s bank account is reportedly not registered as per FCRA rules. The Punjab and Sindh bank had also raised objection over the forex.
Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) stipulates mandatory registration of any outfit receiving foreign funds.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
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