India a 'liberal regime' with respect to foreign donations, says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday justified the decision of the government to put private funding organisation Ford Foundation on its watch list, adding that compared to other countries, India is very a 'liberal regime' with respect to foreign donations.

"The Ford Foundation and a few other international donor organisations have been put on the prior permission list, which means that any donations flowing to the Indian NGOs have to be first assessed by the Government of India. This has been done because there has been a violation of the India law Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI.

"Throughout the world, foreign donations are being regulated. India has a very liberal regime. We are only enforcing the implementations of guidelines and the provisions of the FCRA," he added.

Elaborating on how Ford Foundation violated the FCRA, Narasimha Rao said that the organisation had made an 'illegal' donation of around Rs three crore.

"One company with which Teesta Setalvad was associated, Sabrang Communications and Publishing Limited, was given nearly USD 300,000, which comes to around Rs three crore, and this organisation does not have the permission to receive foreign grants, thus violating the existing provisions of the Act," he said.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Home Affairs placed Ford Foundation on its watch list on the basis of inputs received from security agencies.

According to reports, the ministry found the foundation to be in 'serious violation' of the FCRA and asked the Reserve Bank of India to instruct all banks of the same, in order to ensure that any funds from the organisation be brought to the ministry's notice.