Donation or bribe: BJP, Congress spar over Zakir Naik

Even as the BJP on Saturday alleged that the Rs 50 lakh donation to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), headed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, by Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO was a “bribe” to “shelter” his “anti-national” activities, the Congress hit out at the Modi government, accusing it of hatching a “venal conspiracy of muckraking” to “slander, malign and defame” the party. The Congress said that the money was returned when facts about the organisation came to light.

Meanwhile, sources in the home ministry clarified that there was no illegality in the donation given by Mr Naik’s NGO to RGF. “The RGF is registered under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA). Naik’s NGO is also an FCRA registered NGO, and in 2011, there was no inquiry against it. It was only on August 8 this year that MHA sent a notice to Naik’s NGO”, sources clarified.

Yet, attacking the Congress over the issue, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused “vested interests” within the UPA government of protecting Mr Naik as he showed a purported reply by then I&B minister Manish Tewari in the Lok Sabha in 2012 where he had named Mr Naik’s Peace TV as among 24 illegal foreign channels whose content was not conducive to India’s security environment. He asked the Congress why it had returned the donation given to it in 2011 when its own government had expressed security concerns with regard to Mr Naik’s TV channel.

Mr Prasad also raised doubts over Congress’ claim that the money was returned a few months back, saying the NGO has denied having received the money. Talking to media persons, Mr Prasad also quoted from the then minority affairs minister K. Rahman Khan’s letter to Mr Tewari in February 2013, in which he termed Mr Naik as a “renowned Islamic scholar” and sought the government’s protection for him from campaigns run by a regional channel and a Hindu group. “Those lobbying for him were at high positions in Congress. Why should not this apprehension be raised that this Rs 50 lakh was a bribe to powers that be to shelter its illegal, anti-national activities,” he said.

Reacting to the BJP’s allegation, Congress’ chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala, in a statement, said, “Modi government is running its usual diabolical agenda to slander, malign and defame through Goebbelsian lies meted out by home ministry in shape of mischievous and selective news plants. To top this, venal conspiracy of muckraking, Modi government and BJP fielded Union Cabinet minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad”. He said what is utterly shocking is the fact that a Union Cabinet minister, who has sworn by the Constitution, is asking questions about documents and facts, which are “in possession of the government and are being leaked by them mischievously.”

“Truth is that the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) received a donation in conformity with law and norms and same was returned by the Trust out of its volition in view of the controversy surrounding Islamic Research Foundation/Zakir Naik.,” said Mr Surjewala. Targeting the Modi government, he said it must stop its “web of vengeful deceit and lies.”

“Despite the extremities of vindictive malintent, they will never be able to cloud the truth”, Mr Surjewala said.