Police complaint lodged against Ajmal Foundation for alleged foreign funding

Dec. 6: A leader of the right wing with close links with Assam BJP has filed a case against the Ajmal Foundation for receiving funds from foreign agencies allegedly linked to terrorist organisations, including Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Ajmal foundation is run by Lok Sabha MP and chief of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Maulana Badruddin Ajmal.

The Ajmal Foundation has been charged with sections of the Indian Penal Code and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, which prohibit acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions for any activities “detrimental to national interest. The FIR was lodged following a similar allegation by Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), an NGO, which posted some documents in Twitter in support of their allegation against Ajmal Foundation.

“The Ajmal Foundation of Badruddin Ajmal got ₹ 69.55 crore for education, but used only ₹ 2.05 core for it, and routed the rest for (his party) AIUDF. Turkish and UK terror groups also funded it in crores. The Office of the Home Minister also wrote seeking FCRA cancellation (of the organisation),” the Legal Rights Observatory wrote sharing copies of certain documents in a series of tweets.

However, Badruddin Ajmal refuted the allegations as baseless and said, “This is a politically motivated move to pressurise me so that I leave politics or I do not side with any other party. This baseless claim has come within two days after I decided to jointly fight with Congress in the ongoing elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council. If someone has any such allegations, he or she can inquire the facts from the Union Home Ministry.” Meanwhile, Badaruddin Ajmal has said that he would take legal action against an NGO and a BJP leader for maligning the image of his party.