Inter-ministerial team to probe charges of money laundering, foreign contributions, I-T evasions by RGF, RGCT, Indira Memorial Trust

Cracking the whip against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and family, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday constituted an inter-ministerial probe team to investigate allegations of “money laundering, foreign contributions and income tax evasions” by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) and Indira Memorial Trust.

Rahul Gandhi hit back saying those who fight for the truth have no price and cannot be intimidated. The Congress said its leadership would not be intimidated by “cowardly acts and a blind witch-hunt” by the “panicked” Government. Last week, the Government directed Priyanka Gandhi to vacate an official bungalow at Lodhi Road in Delhi.

According to highly placed officials, the Union Urban Development Ministry is also probing the misuse of land allotment by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which is controlled by Sonia, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka.

The Centre’s decision has come amid Rahul’s fierce attack against the Modi Government over a host of issues, including the Chinese intrusion and Covid-19 outbreak.

The Home Ministry spokesperson said a Special Director in the Enforcement Directorate will head the inter-ministerial team. “The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate investigations into violation of various legal provisions of PMLA, Income Tax Act, FCRA, etc, by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will head the committee,” said the spokesperson.

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is working from a Raisina Road premises which was allotted for the Congress party to build its headquarters titled as Jawahar Bhawan in 1988 in connection with first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s centenary. The Jawahar Bhawan was constructed, but it was converted into the office of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation chaired by Sonia Gandhi and family members. The Urban Development Ministry has sought L&DO to submit a report in this regard, which may lead to eviction of RGF from the prime location.

The RGF was set up in 1991 with the aim to realise “the vision of the former Prime Minister (Nehru) of a modern, secular, and progressive India; a country that enshrines the democratic principle of equality and blends progress with rich cultural traditions”. The Foundation is chaired by Sonia Gandhi. The other trustees include former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, former deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Suman Dubey, educationist Ashok Ganguly and industrialist Sanjiv Goenka.

The Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) was established in 2002 to “address the development needs of the underprivileged of the country, especially the rural poor” and works in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The trustees of the RGCT are Sonia Gandhi (chairperson), Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Ganguly and Bansi Mehta. Its CEO is Deep Joshi.

Meanwhile, in one of his sharpest attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said Modi thinks that “the world is like him and that every one has a price or can be intimidated”.

The attack from Rahul and the Congress came soon after the Centre announced formation of a committee to probe the funding allegations on Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

The Congress alleged that the Centre’s decision to set up an inter-ministerial panel to coordinate a probe into three foundations linked to the Gandhi family was biased and that the Government treated several entities such as the Vivekananda Foundation and the RSS as ‘holy cows’.

“Mr Modi believes the world is like him. He thinks every one has a price or can be intimidated. He will never understand that those who fight for the truth have no price and cannot be intimidated,” Rahul said in a tweet.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation — one of the three foundations to be probed for alleged financial misconduct - had “nothing to add” or “fear”.

 “The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has nothing to add, nothing to fear because you have all the ‘yantra and tantra’ at your disposal and you can ask every question in every inquiry and we are here to answer as law abiding persons,” Singhvi said.

“But you (the Government) need to be exposed fully because you don’t even ask these questions of many holy cows. You are harassing each Opposition segment individual and institutional. But your blue-eyed sanctified holy cows Vivekananda Foundation, India Foundation, Friends of BJP and the RSS don’t get to be asked such questions. Whose favourite blue-eyed boys and girls are these? Whose special arc of protection they have? Please dare to ask them also and share those with the country,” Singhvi asked.

Former Union Minister Manish Tewari said that the BJP Government at the Centre wants to fight his party instead of Covid-19 and China.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, he said that ‘illegal, arbitrary and malafide’ action against RGF and other organisation is an example of BJP’s new ‘low.’ This comes even as de-escalation has begun along the LAC and it has been reported the Chinese side have reduced their troops along bordering areas and dismantled structures at Gogra and Hot Springs as well, Tewari said.

Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said Indian National Congress and its leadership will not be intimidated by the cowardly acts and blind witch-hunt by a panicked Modi Government.

“BJP leadership is also scared of the questions being asked on its deep-rooted Chinese connections, unexplained donations to the PM’s fund by Chinese Entities and continued promotion of Chinese-owned businesses,’” Surjewala said in a Statement.

The party also raised questions into the donations and the amounts received by RSS from all sources including foreign sources, individuals, entities, organisations and Governments.

“Will the investigation include an enquiry into the connection of Rajkumar Naraindas Sabnani alias Raju Sabnani to ‘OF-BJP’?

Will the Modi Government order an enquiry into nearly Rs 7,000 crores received in donations through electoral bonds, its recipient political parties, including the BJP as also the existence of any quid-pro-quo thereof,” asked the party.