The Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi had received Rs 50 lakh as donation from controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in 2011. Now that the probe agencies have turned the heat on the preacher and his alleged Jehadi activities, the RGCT on Thursday declared it has returned the money to the IRF.
According to Home Ministry sources, the RGCT took the decision to return the money soon after the outcome of the FCRA probe about donation received and given by Naik over the years became public. However, people close to the Sonia-headed Trust claimed they took the decision to return the money at a meeting chaired by the Congress president in July third week soon after Naik’s name cropped up in the Dhaka blasts.
After Naik was seen as an inspiration for the terrorists behind the Dhaka blast, the Mumbai Police and Home Ministry’s FCRA Division started a probe into his activities. Recently, the Home Ministry suspended four officers, including a joint secretary for their “casual approach” in probing the foreign funding to the IRF.
Congress leaders close to Gandhi family and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, now claimed that the donation received from the IRF was an unsolicited one and made through cheque in 2011. Incidentally even during that period Information & Broadcasting Ministry under Ambika Soni was pursuing a probe into the illegal transmission of Peace TV, owned by the controversial Islamic preacher. However, the UPA regime later did not go ahead with the probe and the Peace TV was aired through Cable Operators illegally until July 2016.
According to Home Ministry officials, the probe team may ask authorities of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust to explain the details of donation received from IRF.
More so because Naik’s organisation generally accepted donations from abroad and rarely donated such huge money, said an official. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are the Board of Trustees of the organisation established in 2002.
Sources said the FCRA probe has unearthed that Naik’s organisations, with accounts in Islamic Bank of Britain’s branch in Birmingham in the UK, has collected hundreds of crores. The Peace TV was used as a medium to urge for donations worldwide by Zakir Naik, claiming to be working for the promotion of Islam. In his preaching programmes, he urges viewers to donate to two particular projects: United Islamic Aid, and Islamic Research Foundation International.