New Delhi: After the Centre set up an inter-ministerial committee to probe alleged violations of legal provisions by the Gandhi family's Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, the Congress on Wednesday hit back saying the RGF had nothing to hide.
Party Senior spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "RGF has nothing to fear, you have every 'yantra' and 'tantra', we are here as law abiding persons."
"But you have to be 'exposed fully', you are not asking similar questions to any holy cows, like the Vivekananda Foundation, India Foundation, the Overseas Friends of the BJP and for that matter the RSS," said Singhvi.
He said, "Whose blue eyed boys and girls are these organisations, which are never asked anything."
Singhvi said, "There are two laws, for that matter there were many sets of rules for different entities for the government."
Singhvi said the RGF was not going to be cowed down and will continue its work as an NGO and was prepared to give truckloads of papers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs constituted committee will coordinate investigations into the violation of provisions like the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Income Tax Act and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) by these foundations, a Home Ministry Spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.
The official said that a Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate will head the committee.
The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was established on June 21, 1991. The foundation works on a range of issues, including literacy, health, disability, empowerment of the underprivileged, livelihood and natural resource management. Its current focus areas are education, disability and natural resource management.
Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi is the Chairperson of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram are members of the board.
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