Why is government mum on funding of saffron outfits, asks Congress

New Delhi: Congress has put up a brave face against the government ordering a probe into the financial dealings of the three trusts being controlled by the Gandhi family. Calling it part of the ‘politics of revenge’ and a ploy to divert focus from Covid-19, economic and border issues, the Congress said it won’t be intimidated and dared the Centre to ask similar questions and probe the fundings of the RSS and some foundations close to it.
Without mentioning the provocation, Rahul Gandhi vowed to keep up the fight without getting intimidated. “Mr Modi believes the world is like him. He thinks everyone has a price or can be intimidated. He will never understand that those who fight for the truth have no price and cannot be intimidated,” Gandhi tweeted. Earlier in the morning, he had also tweeted about the Indian economy landing in a crisis.

At the official AICC briefing, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: “The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has nothing to add, nothing to fear because you (the government) have all the machinery and you can ask every question in every inquiry. Because, we are here as law-abiding persons to answer. But you need to be exposed fully…you don’t even ask these questions of many holy cows. Please ask us, please enquire all that you like, you are harassing each opposition segment individual or institution.”

Singhvi asked: “But the beauty is that these lovely questions like 9th Schedule exemption don’t get asked of Vivekananda Foundation; they don’t get asked of Overseas Friends of BJP, India Foundation or, for that matter, they don’t get asked for the much larger quantum of money from RSS. Whose favourite blue-eyed boys are these? Whose special arch of protection do they enjoy?”

He said: “The RGF answers questions by giving you truck loads of audited papers, tax papers and RGF continues with its sterling NGO work without bowing down to your pressure... Have you asked a single similar question to the entities whose names I have taken... Or, is it necessary to take the membership of BJP, or wear a bhakt badge? If you take membership of BJP or wear a bhakt badge, then you are exempted.”