Does purchasing literature of an ideology amount to funding a political party? Delhi High Court to examine

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the Central government and the Director General (Posts) on petitions filed by two postal unions – All India Postal Employees Union (AIPEU) and National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) - challenging their de-recognition..Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered the government to file its reply to the petition in 15 days.The Union Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts had passed an order de-recognising the two unions based on the Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Association) Rules, 1993. AIPEU is an associate member of NFPE and both the organisations are considered to be linked to Leftist politics..According to the petitions, the order of de-recognition was passed based on a complaint by Bharatiya Postal Employees Association, an organisation affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).In its order, the Central government said that the decision to de-register the bodes was based on the allegations that they provided funds to Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], made donations to fund the farmers’ agitation and to organisations like the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).The allegation was that an amount of ₹30,000 was given to help the farmers’ movement, ₹4,935 was paid to CPI(M), and ₹50,000 to CITU. .However, AIPEU and NFPE argued the money remitted to the CPI(M) was not from the Union, but from a private transaction done by one of its office assistants for the books he purchased from the office of the political party.On the issue of funding the farmers’ movement, the Unions said that such donations were made to the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, to which NFPE contributes to each year. .During the hearing today, counsel appearing for the Unions said that mere purchase of literature of a political party does not amount to funding that party and that their recognition cannot be cancelled on this ground. Justice Prasad said that issue will be examined while deciding the plea."Under the garb of literature, is that funding? Your argument is that you protected under Article 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b), we will examine that," the Court remarked.