The US affiliate of the Bharatiya Janata Party – Overseas Friends of BJP-USA (OFBJP-USA) – recently registered with the US government under a law that requires individuals and entities participating in political activities on behalf of a foreign constituent to file a public disclosure of their links and activities.
OFBJP-EE. The US identified BJP as its “principal alien” in a registration form filed Aug. 27 with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) of 1938. He listed Vijay Chauthaiwale, in charge of the BJP’s foreign affairs department, as an official of the party he works with.
For the mission and goal of the BJP as a principal foreigner, OFBJP said in the registration form, “Advocate for social policies of well-being, self-reliance, robust economic growth, foreign policy driven by a nationalist agenda and strong national defense for India. . “
Adapa V Prasad, one of the three signatories to the registration form, denied that the registration was bound by a US investigation of the organization, as some had argued. “OFBJP has voluntarily registered under FARA with the DOJ,” he said, adding: “OFBJP is not under any investigation.”
A response from the US Department of Justice was expected to a request from the Hindustan Times to confirm or deny that an investigation was taking place.
Prasad said that members of the organization learned of the FARA regulation “very recently and after the regulation review; we thought it was better to register voluntarily ”.
He added: “We have not suspended any of our activities. We are fully functional. “
The Justice Department says: “FARA is an important tool for identifying foreign influence in the United States and addressing threats to national security. The central purpose of FARA is to promote transparency regarding foreign influence within the United States, ensuring that the United States government and the public are aware of the source of certain information from foreign agents intended to influence public opinion, US laws and policies, thus facilitating the evaluation of that information. “
“Willful violation” of the law is punishable by up to five years in jail or a maximum fine of $ 250,000, or both. The punishment for certain minor infractions is a jail term of not more than six months or a fine of $ 5,000, or both.
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