Centre selectively targetting NGOs: Louise Khurshid

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Sep 17 2014 | 8:40 PM IST
Louise Khurshid, wife of Congress leader Salman Khurshid, today accused the Narendra Modi government of "political vendetta", a day after Union Social Justice Ministry referred a case against her NGO to the Law Ministry for a CBI probe.
Hitting back at the Ministry, Louise who runs the Dr Zakir Husain Memorial Trust, said she welcomes a CBI probe but wondered why no action is being taken against 93 NGOs "blacklisted" by the Ministry.
"Five of these states are from the Minister's (Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot) home state of Madhya Pradesh and 33 are from the Prime Minister's recently adopted state of Uttar Pardesh," she said giving documents relating to the "blacklisted" NGOs.
Ghelot had told journalists yesterday that his ministry has referred a case against "an NGO in Uttar Pradesh which is associated with a politician" for a CBI probe against alleged fudging of documents to swindle funds allocated for the welfare of differently-abled persons.
When a reporter asked him whether he was referring to the NGO associated with Khurshid, the minister preferred not to name the NGO or the politician against whom the ministry has recommended for a probe.
Asked what will happen if the CBI picks up the case, she said, "The Ministry has sought Law Ministry's opinion. We don't have anything to worry about CBI. We have submitted all our documents to the Ministry".
Told by a journalist that the Ministry has said that her NGO might be blacklisted, she said, "There is law in this land. No one can blacklist any NGO without legal reasons. If they do so, I will approach the Court."
"If they do, it will mean that they are selectively targetting. Why no action has been taken against 93 NGOs. An NGO was blacklisted on September 15 but there is no mention of that," Louise said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 17 2014 | 8:40 PM IST

Next Story