Enforcement Directorate (ED) probes into the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) has revealed that a transaction between controversial preacher Zakir Naik and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) has been unearthed. The transaction details of the account, which has been frozen now, shows a fund transfer allegedly amounting to Rs 50 lakhs, from Naik’s account to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable trust during the UPA regime in 2011.
RGCT is a registered, not-for-profit organisation which was established in 2002 headed by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, as per its official website.
In a shocking revelation, the Trust received the money worth Rs 50 lakh in 2011 and it was then returned after Zaik Naik fled India and the NIA registered a case against him.
On July 8, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) formed an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate investigations into alleged violation of various legal provisions of PMLA, Income Tax Act, FCRA and others by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. The Special Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) heads the committee probing into the trust’s alleged violations. This move was triggered days after BJP chief JP Nadda highlighted the various irregularities in the trust’s transactions. India banned the channel founded by Zakir Naik in 2016
On June 26, BJP chief JP Nadda made allegations that the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was donating money to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation during the UPA reign. The BJP national President took to Twitter to share details of ‘Partner Organisation and Donors Year 2005-2006’ and ‘Partner Organisation and Donors Year 2007-2008’, which proves that PMNRF transferred funds to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF). Nadda said at the rally that the Chinese embassy gave Rs 90 lakh to the RGF. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is a Delhi-based RGF was set up on June 21, 1991, and is currently chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Who is Zakir Naik?
Zakir Naik is wanted by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) on charges of propagating terrorism. His Islamic Research Foundation organisation was handed a five-year ban.
The NIA on Monday arrested Riyas Aboobacke (alias Abu Dujana) who was known to be the mastermind in carrying out the suicide attacks in Kerala.
The 29-year-old who is a resident of Kerala admitted that he was radicalised a few years ago. Riyas also said he was closely following the speeches of the main accused in the Sri Lanka suicide bombings, Zahran Hashim, for over a year.
Though the Islamic State (IS) group claimed full responsibility for Sri Lanka bomb blasts, the Sri Lankan government blamed local jihadi group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) for the bombings on April 21.
