We won't be intimidated by 'cowardly acts' of panicked Modi govt: Congress on probe into Gandhi trusts

The Congress on Wednesday reacted strongly to the Centre's decision to launch a probe into the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, calling it a “devious hounding” of those exposing the government’s ineptitude, and asserting that the party and its leadership will not be intimidated by the “cowardly acts” and “blind witch-hunt”.

New Delhi: After the Ministry of Home Affairs set up a panel to coordinate tax violation and money laundering investigations against three Gandhi family trusts including Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Congress hit back at the centre saying that it will not be intimidated by the "cowardly" acts and "blind witch-hunt" of the "panicked" Modi Government.

In a statement released by the party, Congress Chief Spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala stated, "The wild and insidious hatred of the BJP for Congress leadership unfolds every day in embarrassing and uglier fashion."

"Facing a barrage of questions on the blatant compromise of India's security interest and territorial integrity, a shocking mishandling of Covid-19 crisis which continues to devour lives and livelihoods on a daily basis, and unable to arrest the economic recession wreaking havoc on the life of Indian citizens, a desperate Modi-Shah government has fallen back on devious hounding of those exposing its ineptitude," he further alleged.

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which reportedly received donations from a Chinese firm in 2006, was recently in the line of fire over the deaths of 20 Indian Army personnel due to the violent face-off and Chinese incursions in Ladakh.

"Every day a new conspiracy is crafted by delusional BJP leadership so as to spread disinformation distraction and diversion to bury the apparent incompetence and complete failure of the Modi government," Surjewala stated.

In return, the Congress leader accused BJP leadership of having "deep-rooted" Chinese connections to get donations for PM's fund.

Surjewala sought reply of the Modi Government over the matter while putting up questions, including, "Will the Government hold an enquiry into the donations worth hundreds of crores received from Chinese entities into PM-CARES fund?"

He also asked the government if it will hold an enquiry into the donations and amount received by RSS, Vivekanand Foundation, Overseas Friends of BJP and India Foundation from all sources including foreign individuals, entities, organisations and governments.

"Will the investigation include an inquiry into the connection of Rajkumar Naraindas Sabnani to OF-BJP? Will the Government order and enquiry into nearly Rs 7,000 crores received in donations through electoral bonds, its recipient political parties including BJP as also the existence of any quid-pro-quo thereof ?" he further asked.

The Congress leader questioned the nearly 500% increase in income and donations to BJP from Rs 570.86 crores, in 2015-16 to Rs 2410 crores, in 2018-19.

"Our determination to hold the government accountable to the people of India and to speak for the deprived, unprivileged and downtrodden, will only get strengthened by these desperate actions of Government, too petrified to answer its own people," asserted Surjewala.