Funding row: Income Tax department sends notice to AAP

New Delhi: A day after the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party registered a historic win by winning 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, trouncing major players in the crucial assembly polls here, the Income Tax department on Wednesday issued a notice to the party in connection with a row over donations received by it.

As per reports, the IT department has sought AAP's reply in connection with the case by February 16.

The IT notice to AAP was issued days after a breakaway volunteer group of the party -  AAP Volunteer Action Manch (AVAM) - accused Kejriwal's party of receiving Rs 2 crore last year through four "dubious" companies.

However, AAP categorically rejected the allegations made by the group and challenged the Centre to order a probe by any central investigation agency including CBI into the matter. AVAM had claimed that the money was donated to the AAP on the midnight of April 15 last year.

Karan Singh and Gopal Goel of AVAM alleged that four donations worth Rs 50 lakh each were remitted to the account of the AAP from four different "dubious companies".

The AAP called it a conspiracy to tarnish its image ahead of the February 7 Delhi assembly elections.

"This is a conspiracy. We invite the government to order an investigation before the February 7 polls itself by any of its agencies -- be it CBI, ED, IB, police, army... and subsequently arrest us if we have done anything wrong," senior party leader Yogendra Yadav had told a press conference.