New Delhi, October 23
The government has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) for “violation” of laws, officials said today.
BJP had accused RGF of getting Chinese funds
During Galwan face-off, BJP chief had said China gave funds to RGF in 2005-09 for studies ‘not in national interest’ He alleged money from PM’s Relief Fund was diverted to RGF, which also got funds from fugitive businessman Choksi
Noting that the two NGOs were headed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, the officials said a decision in this regard was taken by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) following investigations by an inter-ministerial committee set up in 2020.
The investigators looked into allegations of manipulation of documents while filing income-tax returns and misuse of funds and money laundering while receiving funds from foreign countries, including China. Among the trustees of the RGF are former PM Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Suman Dubey and Ashok Ganguly. The trustees of the RGCT are Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Ganguly, Bansi Mehta and Deep Joshi.
As per the RGF website, the NGO was set up in 1991. Till 2009, it worked on a number of critical issues, including health, science and technology, women and children and disability support. It also worked in the education sector. The RGCT was established in 2002 to address the development needs of the underprivileged, especially the rural poor
The NGOs came under the scanner in July 2020 after the MHA set up an inter-ministerial committee headed by an ED officer to probe possible violations of provisions of the PMLA, the Income Tax Act and the FCRA. Another organisation that came under the lens was Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. But no action has so far been taken against it.
Rajasthan CM and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot claimed the MHA decision reflected “political malice” and was an attempt to defame the Gandhi family.
