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Priyanka, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi

Days after BJP alleged that Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) received funds from the embassy of People’s Republic of China, the Centre has set up an inter-ministerial committee to probe the fundings RGF, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of RGF while other trustees include former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former finance minister P Chidambaram, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sonia Gandhi also heads RGCT and oversees the work of IGMT as well.

The Congress alleged this was an effort to intimidate the party leadership, which would not succeed, and asked the government to probe finances of organisations closely associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A home ministry spokesperson confirmed the creation of the committee in a tweet, adding that a special director rank officer in ED will supervise the probe. An official familiar with the development, who did want to be named, said officials of home and finance ministries as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be part of the committee. CBI is empowered to investigate any violations under FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act), while ED and the income tax department, which come under the finance ministry, are responsible for investigations into money laundering and tax violations.

Sonia Gandhi-controlled Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received funds from China

Recently, shocking details had emerged wherein it was revealed how Sonia Gandhi-controlled Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had received funds from the Chinese government during the UPA era under the garb of charities.

The Annual Statements of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had also revealed a far more sinister agenda as it turned out, the Chinese government had not only donated to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in the year 2006 but subsequent years as well. 

It is important to note that Sonia Gandhi is the Chairperson of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Since the year 2005, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were the trustees.

Not Just China: RGF received funds from other foreign governments too

Over the years, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has also received donations from the Governments of Ireland, Luxembourg and the European Union as well. 

Apart from that, the RGF has also received donations from numerous other dubious sources. One of the sources it received a lot of funds from is the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. FNS is a liberal organisation based in Germany that is closely associated with the liberal political establishment in the country and is a major donor for the RGF.

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received funds from PMNRF

Addition to the funds from China, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had re-routed funds within the country, by deviating tax payers money from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

In the year 2005-2006, the Annual Report makes a disclosure that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received a donation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The same disclosure is also made in the 2006-2007 report. Again in 2007-2008, the Foundation for a ‘donation’ from the PMNRF.

Though the amount of such donation is not clear yet, it is a fact that a donation was indeed made.

The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was established in the year 1948. Initially, the purpose of the fund was to provide assistance to displaced people from Pakistan during and right after the partition of India.

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received funds from Mehul Choksi

It was also it has later revealed that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi too had made undisclosed donations to the Sonia Gandhi-led Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in 2014-15.

The Annual Reports of the the Rajiv Gandhi foundation received funds from an organisation named Naviraj Estates Private Limited. Mehul Choksi is one of the directors of this company. However, it is not yet clear how much fund did Rajiv Gandhi Foundation receive from Mehul Choksi.

Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are economic fugitives, who have fled the country in 2018 after Rs 14,000-crore PNB fraud surfaced. Choksi got the citizenship of Antigua after fleeing from the country after he was accused in the multi-crore PNB scam.

The Congress party’s foundation received funds from partners of Huawei

Further, the annual report of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation for the year 2018-19 had disclosed that it had also received funds from Bharti Foundation. The Bharti Foundation was one of the partners with Chinese telecom giant Huawei, recognised widely as an extended arm of the Chinese state.

The annual report states that income for the RGF for the year 2018-19 from grants and donations was Rs.95,91,766 rupees.

The US intelligence officials have been raising concerns for years about the potential for Huawei to use its network access to spy, or worse, to shut down communications in the event of a cyberwar. Despite the threat posed by Huawei, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had managed to receive funds from Huawei’s partners as late as 2018-19.