Saw The Question Hour List And After Seeing Question Number 5, Understood Their Anxiety: Amit Shah On FCRA Licence Of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

In a searing attack on the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised questions on the funds received by the Rajiv Gandhi Trust, in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

While speaking to the press, outside the Parliament, Shah charged the opposition for creating ruckus in the Lok Sabha in the garb of India-China face-off, to avoid questions being raised on FCRA violation by the Rajiv Gandhi foundation.

The Union Home Minister said,"I saw the question hour list and after seeing question number 5, I understood the anxiety (of Congress). The question was regarding the cancellation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF)."

Shah highlighted that the cancellation of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation's registration was in accordance with the regulations of the Home Ministry.

He stated that if the opposition had allowed the house to function, he would have disclosed in Parliament that the Foundation had received a grant of Rs 1.35 crore from the Chinese Embassy during 2005-2007. This was against the FCRA regulations. Therefore, the Home Ministry cancelled the Foundation's registration in accordance with the rules.

The funds were said to be used for research on India-China relations. Shah, questioning the research, said whether the report covered the thousands of hectares of land grabbed by China in the 1962 war or did the research show how former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's "love" for China made India forego the opportunity to be part of the United Nation's Security Council.

In his brief to the press, Shah also reminded of how the then Congress president Rahul Gandhi had hosted dinner for Chinese Embassy officials when Indian soldiers were fighting the Chinese at Galwan.

Listing the historical mistakes of Congress with respect to China, Shah said when Congress was in power in 2006, the Chinese Embassy claimed Arunachal Pradesh and Nepal.

In May 2007, China refused to grant visa to Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorji Khandu sighting that the state was China's part and therefore, visa is not needed. During Manmohan Singh’s Arunachal visit in 2009, China objected and in 2010, it began issuing stapled visas to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah said that in 2011, after China's warning, the Manmohan Singh government stopped construction of roads and vital modern infrastructure near the border area.

He added that the foundation also received a fund of Rs 50 lakh from Islamic Zakir Naik's foundation.