Rajiv Gandhi Foundation sustained by foreign funding: BJP chief Nitin Nabin

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin on Saturday accused the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation of being an organisation sustained through foreign funding and donations, asserting that attempts to create a 'mob-based system' in India by replicating developments witnessed in other countries would never succeed.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Nabin said those attempting to mobilise groups of people to create such a system in the country would ultimately fail in their designs.

"As I stated at the outset, those who attempt to replicate here what has been done in other countries, by gathering groups of people to create a 'mob-based system', will never see their designs succeed," the BJP President added.

Emphasising that the country's youth support development and remain connected to India's cultural values, Nabin said young people are equally committed to safeguarding national security and preserving the country's cultural heritage.

"I have always maintained that the youth of this nation stand with development; they are deeply rooted in the country's cultural values. Alongside development, they remain fully committed to the nation's security and its cultural heritage. If anyone thinks they can mislead the youth by steering them in the wrong direction, they are mistaken; that will never happen," he added.

Nabin also questioned the Congress leadership's claims of promoting national unity while targeting what he described as its association with the 'tukde-tukde gang'.

"Every time they have attempted such a thing, they have faced a humiliating defeat. How can those who align themselves with the 'tukde-tukde gang' claim to be about 'uniting' the country, and expect the youth to stand with them? Furthermore, can those who run the 'Rajiv Gandhi Foundation' -- an organisation sustained by foreign funding and donations -- ever hope to shape the political narrative of this nation? It is simply impossible," the BJP President said.

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was registered in India as a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

In October 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the foundation's Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence following an investigation conducted by an inter-ministerial committee.

The foundation had come under scrutiny over allegations concerning contributions received from foreign sources and the flow of funds.

The cancellation of its FCRA licence followed the committee's examination of these matters.

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