AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal booked for receiving funds from alleged terror-linked agencies

The Guwahati Police has registered a case against AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal over charges of violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The case has been registered over suspicious funding after the complaint was lodged by a person called Satya Ranjan Bohra citing allegations from Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), a legal activism group which alleged receipt of funds by one of the NGOs of Ajmal from "radical terrorist Islamist groups" from abroad.

Vinay Joshi of the LRO has stated that Akmal's foundation received funds from foreign organisations which are "closely associated with Al-Qaeda terror network, Hizbul Mujahideen Kashmiri terror network and Egyptian and Kuwaiti Islamic Brotherhood networks."

"While analysing their annual and quarterly donations, we came across all these terror groups funding and financing Badruddin Ajmal," Vinay Joshi said.

In a series of tweets, Legal Rights Observatory has alleged that Markazul Maarif, a CSR wing of Ajmal Foundation of the AIUDF leader got nearly 70 crore rupees. The tweet by the complainant stated that the funds received was used in political activities of AIUDF and it was received from Turkish and UK based terror groups.

The LRO alleged that one of the donors have links with extremists including the 9/11 US attack "mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed n Tariq al-Suwaidan", who is listed by the US authorities as "an unindicted co-conspirator".

Legal Rights Observatory also shared elaborate details about the donors who funded the NGO and concluded by alleging that Ajmal has "grossly misused" the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.

In an earlier tweet on December 3, the LRO had alleged that of the 69.55 crore rupees received by Ajmal's NGO, only Rs 2.05 crore was used for education while rest of the funds was routed to "counter Hindu political forces". Reportedly, Assam Cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged the Centre to intervene and probe the matter.

READ | NIA Files Supplementary Chargesheet In Khalistan Liberation Front Narco Terror Case

READ | TMC Is Now Terrorist Manufacturing Company: BJP's WB Vice-chief Slams Mamata's Party

READ | Jaish Terrorist Ratted Out By Associate Arrested In J&K's Pulwama By Security Forces

READ | Australia Revokes Citizenship Of Muslim Cleric 'posing Significant Terrorist Threat'

Ajmal alleges 'allegations false'

Meanwhile, Badruddin Ajmal has refuted the allegations stating that the charges are being filed with political intent. He stated that the BJP doesn't want him to forge an alliance with the Congress and has orchestrated it to malign his party and his NGO.

"It's a false allegation. It's an international conspiracy to defame AIUDF & Ajmal Foundation. It's being done by Himanta Biswa Sarma. He began his tactics as soon as we joined hands with Congress for BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Area Districts) elections," Badruddin Ajmal said while speaking with ANI.

"There's no need to make this an international matter, it's being done for political matter. It's being done to scare me so that I don't forge an alliance with Congress. BJP govt in Assam is scared that if we come together they'll be in danger. We'll go to the court," he added.