Calling it a clear case of “office of profit”, the Congress on Saturday demanded the resignation of four Ministers, including Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, for serving as directors in India Foundation, a think tank run by Shaurya Doval, son of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
A news portal, The Wire , carried a detailed report on India Foundation which counts among its directors Ms. Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha.
Hitting out at the BJP, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “ Shah-zada ki apaar safalta ke baad, BJP ki nayi peshkash-Ajit Shaurya gatha [After the ‘grand success’of ‘Shah-Zada’, the BJP’s new presentation: the tale of Ajit Shaurya].
Sonia’s example
Congress leader Kapil Sibal sought to remind the BJP how the party forced Congress president Sonia Gandhi to resign from the Lok Sabha for being Chairperson of the National Advisory Council . “ Sonia Gandhi resigned from the Lok Sabha even when she was not a Minister in the government, when they raised questions about NAC. Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi mum now,” Mr. Sibal asked.
He asked if any Union Minister had ever been director of an NGO.
“Had any of our Ministers been director in Teesta Setalvad or Indira Jaisingh’s NGO when the UPA was in power, what do you think would have happened? They would have stalled Parliament, there would have been protests and the CBI would have a filed a case,” he said.
Foreign funding
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav too is a director of India Foundation. The foundation also has a licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to receive foreign donations. Mr. Sibal, quoting from FCRA, said no political party or office-bearer of the party could receive foreign funding as per the law.
“Ram Madhav ji is office-bearer, he is general secretary of the BJP, how can he be director of India Foundation,” he questioned. Mr. Sibal said there could be no better example of “crony capitalism” than this.
“This also invites provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Because you give benefits to companies and you are helping them. What is the public interest in this,” he asked.
“We want to know when the Prime Minister will dismiss all the four Ministers and take action against Mr. Ram Madhav,” he said.
