The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress had claimed that Vedanta Resources was not a foreign company and therefore no law had been violated.
The PIL filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms through Bhushan said the Britain-based Vedanta Resources and its subsidiary companies in India - including Sterlite Industries, Sesa Goa and Malco - "have donated several crores of rupees to major political parties like the Congress and the BJP".
The two parties breached the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), the PIL alleged.