Yet another trouble is brewing for social activist Teesta Setalvad as the Gujarat Government has sought a probe for misusing funds received, from a foreign donor, with an intention to disturb communal harmony.
The Anandiben Patel Government has written a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh urging him to initiate a probe into the role of Teesta’s NGO – Sabrang Trust. Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Rajnikant Patel said the State Government has found that the funds donated by a foreign donor to Sabrang Trust were misused.
Patel claimed that the State Government has learnt that the funds Teesta’s NGO received from Ford Foundation were utilised for disturbing communal harmony and to launch anti-national propaganda in other countries against India. He further said the Ford Foundation divulged details before the Gujarat police that the funds given to Teesta were used for campaign against the Gujarat Government.
Teesta filed cases against the Gujarat Government functionaries including the former Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with post Godhra riots in 2002. The Gujarat police have also filed an embezzlement of funds against her. In fact, according to the Minister, the facts pertaining to diverting foreign funding for disturbing communal harmony in the State revealed during the investigation of Gulberg Society fund embezzlement case.
“Ford Foundation has given around $5,00,000 to the NGO run by Setalvad,” he said, adding that the State Government had written the letter in March to carry out probe against her role and cancelling grants to the NGO.
The Gujarat police have filed a case against Teesta, her husband Javed Anand, Tanvir Jaffari, son of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri and two others for embezzlement of funds to the tune of Rs1.51 crore. Police said Teesta had collected funds for the project of museum at riot-hit Gulberg Society, which never took off.