‘Political Move To Target Gandhi Family’: Cong Leader On Centre Cancelling Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s FCRA Licence

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit accused the Home Ministry’s decision of being a “political move” to "target the Gandhi family".

File Photo of Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit condemned the Home Ministry’s decision to cancel Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) licence for Foreign Contribution saying that the action was taken to target the Gandhi family.

He termed it a “political move”. "This action was taken to target the Gandhi family and Congress which is a political move," Dikshit said, while a formal statement for the Congress Party is awaited.

The Centre has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, a non-government organisation associated with the Gandhi family, for alleged violations of the law, officials said, as reported by the news agency PTI.

While a formal statement from the Congress Party on this matter is awaited, the party sources said that a statement will be made after taking legal advice.

Congress leader Sandeep Dixit said that for the past few years such action has been taken against many NGOs without any basis. "To my knowledge, the RGF did not get any special donations from abroad. But NGOs keep FCRA licence."

He questioned the ruling BJP's ideological parent the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), pointing out that it is not a registered organisation. "There is no bank account. Where does RSS get funding? If you look in your pocket, you will see only soot," he remarked.

 FCRA Licence Of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Cancelled After Investigation

The Centre's decision came after investigations were carried out by an inter-ministerial committee formed by the home ministry in 2020. "Yes, the FCRA licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has been cancelled after an investigation against it," PTI quoted an official as saying.

Soon after the cancellation, the officer informed that a written notice has been dispatched to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and its office-bearers.

The committee formed by the MHA in July 2020 has pointed out its findings about the violations of various FCRA norms that have resulted in the cancellation of the registration of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which was established in 1991, the officer privy to the development said.

An inquiry started against the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in July 2020 when the MHA constituted an inter-ministerial committee headed by an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer to investigate three Gandhi family foundations-- Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust-- for possible violations of the money laundering act, Income Tax act and FCRA.

The committee investigated three Gandhi family foundations-- Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust-- for any possible violations of the money laundering act, Income Tax act and FCRA, as reported by the news agency ANI.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of RGF. The other trustees of the NGO include former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former finance minister P Chidambaram, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

RGF was set up in 1991. It is an NGO which worked on a number of critical issues including health, science and technology, women and children, disability support, etc., from 1991 till 2009. It also worked in the education sector, according to its website.

(With agencies' Inputs)