Centre Cancels FCRA Licences of RGCT and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

New Delhi : The Centre has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), PTI reported on Sunday. The action has been taken against these two NGOs for alleged violation of laws.

Both the organisations are headed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi while party’s top leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram are members of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. 

It is mandatory to register an organisation under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to receive foreign funds. The inter-ministerial committee formed by the Union Home Ministry in 2020 had investigated the alleged violation of laws and based on its recommendations, the government has taken action against these two organisations. 

“The FCRA licences of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust have been cancelled after investigations against these NGOs,” an official of the home ministry said.

The inter-ministerial committee was set up after the BJP had accused the Congress of having received funds from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. The investigation covered alleged violation of legal provisions of several laws, including the Income Tax Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

The BJP spokesperson on Sunday said the cancelling of FCRA registration of the two organisations linked to Congress leaders has exposed the party’s corruption. 

राजीव गांधी फाउंडेशन और राजीव गांधी चैरिटेबल ट्रस्ट, दोनों एनजीओ गांधी परिवार के थे।

इनमें भ्रष्टाचार के खुलासे के बाद लाइसेंस रद्द कर दिया गया है।

इन दोनों के ऊपर प्रतिबंध लगाने का काम मिनिस्ट्री ऑफ़ होम अफेयर्स (एमएचए) ने किया है।

- डॉ. @sambitswaraj pic.twitter.com/Oy4wb0GA5v

— BJP (@BJP4India) October 23, 2022

Responding to the action against RGF and RGCT, Congress said this a ploy to divert public attention from crucial issues. The Opposition party also said the Central government is recycling old charges against the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

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