Amit Shah: Disruption Congress ploy to avoid questions on China funding to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

The Opposition’s demand for a discussion on reports of clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers at the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector led to an abrupt adjournment of proceedings till 12 noon. Later, protesting against the government’s refusal to give clarification on a statement given by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Opposition, including the Congress, DMK, TMC, NCP and Left parties, staged a walkout.

“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). If they would have allowed it, I would have given an answer in Parliament that RGF received a grant of Rs 1.35 crore from the Chinese Embassy during 2005-2007, which was not appropriate as per the FCRA. So, as per the rules, Home Ministry cancelled its registration,” Shah said, clarifying that the sanction was cancelled following the Home ministry’s regulations earlier this year.

Shah said that while the Congress claimed that the money from the embassy was meant to undertake research on the relationship between India and China, the nation wanted to know if the research covered the issue of the thousands of hectares of land that India lost during the 1962 war. “If it did, where is the report? Because of (Jawaharlal) Nehru’s love (for China), India’s permanent seat in the UN Security Council was sacrificed. Did they make this also a topic to research?” Shah asked.

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Shah pointed out that the Chinese mission in India had made claims on entire Arunachal Pradesh in 2006 during the UPA regime, and it rejected a visa to then Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in 2007 claiming the state was its part only. China had also raised questions about former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh in 2009, he said.

He alleged that when the Indian soldiers were fighting the Chinese PLA at Galwan, someone from the Congress was throwing a dinner for an official of the Chinese embassy and asked why work on road and vital infrastructure projects in Demchok was stalled in 2012 following a threat from China. Shah also said people in Jammu and Kashmir were denied stapled visas, but the foundation had not done any research on them.

Shah also claimed that the Foundation headed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi received ?50 lakh from Zakir Naik, founder of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), which was banned by the government for its alleged involvement in terrorism.

The question raised by Congress MPs from Kerala — V K Sreekandan and Benny Behnan — was about the government’s move to cancel the licences of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust under the FCRA. The MPs sought to know the details about the irregularities, if any, found during the probe. They also wanted to know the truth in allegations that old charges have been recycled against Foundation and the Trust, and that if the government proposes to re-issue the licences of these NGOs.