MHA Sets Up Panel to Probe Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, 2 Other Trusts

A special director of the Enforcement Directorate will be heading the committee, the MHA said in a tweet.

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The Home Ministry (MHA) has set up an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate the investigations into alleged violation of various laws by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

A special director of the Enforcement Directorate will be heading the committee, the MHA spokesperson said in a tweet on Wednesday, 8 July.

“MHA sets up inter-ministerial committee to coordinate investigations into violation of various legal provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Income Tax Act, Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act etc by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust & Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust,” the tweet said.

While asserting that the Modi government is committed to transparency, the BJP on Wednesday said the government probe into the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s transactions is the "natural outcome" of information being brought out in the public domain.

‘Brazen Fraud’

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was recently the target of a political attack by the BJP, with its President JP Nadda accusing Sonia Gandhi of lacking transparency.

“PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund), meant to help people in distress, was donating money to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in UPA years. Who sat on the PMNRF board? Smt Sonia Gandhi. Who chairs RGF? Smt Sonia Gandhi. Totally reprehensible, disregarding ethics, processes and not bothering about transparency,” Nadda had tweeted on 26 June.

Attaching a list of donors to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from years 2005 to 2008, Nadda said “one family’s hunger for wealth has cost the nation”.

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundations is headed by Sonia Gandhi, with the board including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram.

(With inputs from PTI.)