.jpg?rect=0%2C0%2C2000%2C1125&auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720)
Controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), confirmed on Friday that it had made a Rs 50 lakh donation to the Sonia Gandhi-led Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) in 2011, reports The Times of India. Following this, the Bharatiya Janata Party questioned Congress on why the money wasn’t returned in 2012.
Congress on Tuesday agreed to have accepted the donation, but later claimed that the money did not come to RGF, but to an allied entity called Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and that it was returned to IRF “some months ago”.
On Thursday, however, IRF denied having received the donation and in another email on Friday night, RGF told TOI that it “stood by its reply in its entirety.”
IRF has also has been banned from receiving foreign funds directly. In addition, the Home Ministry has asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to seek prior permission from the government before releasing any money to the NGO.
The decision has been taken after a preliminary inquiry conducted by the Home Ministry found that the NGO was carrying out activities contrary to the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA), under which it must function.
According to sources, the Home Ministry had last month renewed the FCRA licence of the NGO despite several ongoing probes against its founder Naik, including one by the Home Ministry itself.
Taking strong exception to the goof-up, the Home Ministry suspended Joint Secretary GK Dwivedi, who was heading the foreigners division of the ministry looking after the FCRA-related issues, and three other officials.
BJP Questions Congress Over Zakir Naik Fund
Citing UPA letters on the Zakir Naik fund, the BJP on Saturday questioned Congress on why the money had not been returned. Further, they questioned whether the huge amount of money was a “bribe”.
During a news briefing, BJP also asked Congress whether the terms and conditions of the registration of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, if there were any, included that the foundation would get money from outside, that too an internationally funded NGO.
Not just this, the BJP also asked if the Foundation was registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
The BJP claimed that the donation was nothing but a bribe given to Congress by Naik to shelter his illegal and anti-national activities which are a threat to national and international security.
Congress Defends Itself
Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress, reacting to BJP’s accusations, said that it is unfortunate that the government is not exercising the least degree of responsibility in handling the matter.
He even asked the government to tell people whether at the time of giving donation Naik’s NGO was under any kind of suspicion?
He added that the suspicions at both national and global level were raised only recently and that Congress party was no astrologer so as to have predicted this beforehand.
Naik Accused of Radicalising, Attracting Youths for Terror Acts
Naik has come under the scanner after Bangladeshi newspaper, Daily Star, reported that Rohan Imtiaz, an attacker of the 1 July terror strike in Dhaka, ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik.
Zaik, in a lecture aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, had reportedly “urged all Muslims to be terrorists”.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI and The Times of India.)
Also Read: Home Ministry Sacks Four Officers for Helping Zakir Naik’s NGO
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)