New Delhi: The Central government on Saturday has revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), a non-governmental organisation linked with the Gandhi family for alleged violation of the foreign funding law.

The Trusts have always been purely charitable in nature and comply with all laws and regulations

Besides that the licence of Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) has also been cancelled. Both the organisations cannot receive foreign funding anymore.

According to reports, the decision was made based on investigations conducted by an inter-ministerial committee constituted by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in July 2020. A notice regarding the termination of licence has been sent to the office-bearers of the foundation.

In July 2020, the MHA formed an inter-ministerial committee led by an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer to investigate three foundations linked to the Gandhi family, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, for alleged violations of the Money Laundering Act, Income Tax Act, and FCRA.

The committee, which included officers from the Union home and finance ministries in addition to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was tasked with investigating whether the trusts run by the Gandhi family and other Congress leaders tampered with documents when filing income taxes or misused and laundered money received from foreign countries.

According to the official website of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the organisation has worked on various issues in the sectors of health, science and technology, women and children and disability support from 1991 to 2009. The foundation decided to focus on education in 2010, the website mentioned.

Soon after the cancellation of its FCRA licensce registration, the officer said, a written notice has been dispatched to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and its office-bearers.

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was set up in 1991 and Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Suman Dubey and Ashok Ganguly are other trustees of the foundation. Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust is chaired by Sonia Gandhi and has Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Ganguly, Bansi Mehta and Deep Joshi as its trustees.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Sunday responded to action against Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and said the “recycled old charges” were to defame and divert public attention from day-to-day concerns.

Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said in a statement, “Over the Deepavali weekend, the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the FCRA registrations of both the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust [RGCT]. They recycle old charges against the RGF and RGCT. This is to defame and divert public attention from issues of day-to-day concern to them.”

The grand old party said that both the trust and the charity were established after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who stood for the ideas of Sadhbhavana and inclusive, sustainable development, among others.

“The Trusts have always been purely charitable in nature and comply with all laws and regulations. All statutory requirements for audit, program activity and financial disclosure, and the filing of returns have been scrupulously followed every year by the Trusts. The background for the cancellation of the FCRA registration should be obvious to anyone who understands the nature of the present dispensation,” Jairam Ramesh added.

The NGOs will respond to the charges and take whatever legal action is required, the Congress said.