The Aam Aadmi Party, which was asked by the Centre to furnish details of foreign funds it received, claimed it was the victim of a “political witch hunt”. “It is a clear case of political witch hunt. All the agencies at the Centre’s disposal have been unleashed against AAP, its government in Delhi and its ministers,” the party said in a statement. “This is very dangerous for a democracy.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs asked the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to explain certain funds it had received from abroad after suspecting that it might have violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, officials said. The communication to the AAP was part of “routine” queries sent to a few other political parties regarding overseas funding, MHA authorities said, though they made it clear that it was not a showcause notice, and a decision on whether to issue one will be taken only after AAP submits its reply.

The AAP said it has nothing to hide and is ready to face any investigation and will fully cooperate with all officials and agencies concerned. “It is worth mentioning that the MHA had given us a clean chit before the high court on this issue, and now they are sending us fresh notices,” the party said.