AAP collects Rs. 1 crore after Modi's AK-49 barb against Kejriwal

By Dilip -
A day after Arvind Kejriwal requested voters to make a contribution to the AAP, donations flooded the rookie party's website. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) collected more than Rs. 1 crore on Wednesday, as 1,208 donors contributed generously. A section of AAP supporters said the windfall was a result of Narendra Modi's comments against Kejriwal.
In his first direct attack on the AAP leader, Modi, the BJP's prime minister nominee, said earlier in the day, "There are three AKs in Pakistan who are being admired: AK-47, AK Antony and AK-49 (read 49-day Delhi chief minister Kejriwal)."
Making the AAP's day, one Ganesh Ramani from Hong Kong reportedly donated Rs. 62 lakh in cheque. While online donations are reflected on the party's website immediately, contributions that come in other forms take some time to be updated.
The AAP received the huge amount in donation less than 24 hours after Kejriwal announced in Varanasi that he would take on Modi from the constituency and requested voters to contribute to the rookie party.
"I am ready to challenge Modi with the support of the people. I do not have any money. You will have to donate money to me. I request you to help me financially like Madan Mohan Malaviya was helped when he wanted to build the Banaras Hindu University," he had said in the holy city.
The AAP, which is eyeing a spectacular national debut following its successful electoral outing in the Delhi assembly elections last year, received over Rs. 18 lakh from 795 donors and Rs. 48 lakh from 1,246 donors on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
From December 12 (after the Delhi poll results were announced) till date, the party has received more than Rs.17 crore from 70,525 donors from 104 countries.

Online donation to the AAP had earlier kicked up a controversy, with the Centre seeking details of the transactions and moving a court over the issue.

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