Govt forms inter-ministerial committee to probe legal violations by 'Rajiv Gandhi Foundation'

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs tweeted, "MHA sets up inter-ministerial committee to coordinate investigations into violation of various legal provisions of PMLA, Income Tax Act, FCRA etc by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust & Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust."

The center's decision comes in the wake of several allegations made by the BJP leaders against the funding of the three trusts allegedly violating PMLA, Income Tax Act and FCRA. BJP President JP Nadda and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that the RGF had received funding from the Chinese Embassy. Also, there were allegations stating that the PMRF fund was utilized for managing the organizations' finances.

Denying BJP's allegations, Congress replied that all the funds were used for welfare purposes, adding that the donation from the Chinese Embassy was utilized for the welfare of disabled persons and the grant from the PMRF was used for tsunami relief work.

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, established in 1991, works on various development and welfare issues of the society. Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, of which Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson, works for the self-advancement of the poor and deprived. The third organization under scrutiny, Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust has been working in the education sector since 2001.