MHA sets up panel to probe Gandhi family trusts

New Delhi, July 08: The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up an inter-ministerial committee to conduct investigations on the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

The committee would coordinate investigations into violation of various legal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Income Tax Act and FCRA by the above mentioned foundations.

The committee will be headed by the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate.

It may be recalled that the BJP had alleged that China had funded the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

Union Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress needs to explain why the Chinese Embassy had donated Rs 90 lakh to the foundation. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are attacking Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and supporting China because of donations like these. He also suggested that the Congress pushed for a free-trade agreement between the countries, causing economic losses to the country.

First they give land to China and then they take Rs 90 lakh as a charity. The foundation was nothing but an extension of the Congress. Did they take permission before taking money? Did they inform the government why they had taken the money, Prasad asked.

There is also a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the memorandum of Understanding between the Congress and Communist Party of China signed in 2008.