New Delhi: The Centre set up an inter-ministerial committee on Wednesday to coordinate probe into the alleged violation of various provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Income-Tax Act, Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) etc by three trusts linked to the Gandhi family, namely the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
A 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,” the spokesperson said.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) deals with cases related to money laundering and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) deals with acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions.
Read Also : PM applauds role of people of Varanasi in helping needy during COVID crisis
While launching an attack on the Congress over the RGF having received funds from the Chinese Embassy a few years ago, Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad had questioned whether it was a “bribe” for lobbying for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and China.
Prasad took on the Opposition party after BJP president J P Nadda raised the issue in his virtual rally for party workers in Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday accused the government of carrying out a “blind witch-hunt” and applying “double standards” after it instituted the probe and said why such questions are not asked to the institutions close to the ruling BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying those who fight for the truth cannot be intimidated.
“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,” he said in a tweet.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said a desperate Modi-Shah government has fallen back on a “devious hounding of those exposing its ineptitude by ordering a wholly vicious and vengeful investigation” of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Daring the government to deploy its machinery in investigating the financial sources of the trusts, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said they have nothing to fear and will answer every question like law-abiding persons.
Also Read : Priyanka Chopra Jonas CONFIRMED as the newest cast member in Matrix 4 opposite Keanu Reeves
Referring to the RSS, Vivekananda Foundation, India Foundation and Overseas Friends of BJP as “blue-eyed, sanctified holy cows” which are protected by the government, the Congress leader said such entities are not asked questions about the 9th Schedule exemptions that the Gandhi-family run trusts are asked.
Surjewala said: “The wild and insidious hatred of the BJP of Congress leadership unfolds every day in an embarrassing and uglier fashion”.
Accusing the Centre of “harassing” the Opposition, Singhvi said the government can ask them as many questions as it wants, but sought to know if entities close to the government will be asked the same set of questions.
He said the country will expose the government each time questions are asked about the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which will provide “truckloads of audited papers” about its finances.
Surjewala said the BJP leadership is scared of questions on “its deep-rooted Chinese connections, unexplained donations” to the PM’s fund by Chinese entities and continued promotion of Chinese-owned businesses.
“Will the Modi government hold an inquiry into the donations worth hundreds of crores received from Chinese entities into the PM-Cares fund? Will the Modi government hold an inquiry into the donations and the amounts received by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from all sources including foreign sources, individuals, entities, organisations and governments,” he asked.
The Congress leader also asked if the Modi government will hold similar probes into the donations and the amounts received by the Vivekananda Foundation and India Foundation and other such foundations.
Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by West Bengal News 24 staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: millenniumpost.in
