Congress Politicians Slam Modi Gov't for 'Denying' Future Foreign Funding to Missionaries of Charity
12:16 GMT 28.12.2021 (Updated: 14:08 GMT 14.02.2023)
© AP Photo / Bikas Das
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Established in 1950 by Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity aims to care for refugees, former prostitutes, the mentally ill, sick children, abandoned children, people with AIDS, the aged, and convalescent. It also runs schools to teach abandoned street children, free kitchens, and other services as per community needs.
Senior Congress politicians on Tuesday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led federal government for "denying" foreign funding in future to Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic congregation established by Mother Teresa in 1950.
Congress MP and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in a series of tweets said: "Nothing can be more shocking than denying future foreign contributions to the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, West Bengal".
"This is the greatest insult to the memory of Mother Teresa who devoted her life to care for the 'poor and wretched' of India", he added.
कोलकाता, पश्चिम बंगाल में मिशनरीज ऑफ चैरिटी के लिए भविष्य में विदेशी योगदान को नकारने से ज्यादा हैरान करने वाला कुछ नहीं हो सकता है।
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 28, 2021
यह मदर टेरेसा की स्मृति का सबसे बड़ा अपमान है, जिन्होंने भारत के 'गरीबों और दुखियारो' की देखभाल के लिए अपना जीवन समर्पित कर दिया।
He further said: "The MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) claims to have found 'some adverse inputs'".
While referring to the agencies' intelligence sources about any sensitive situation, Chidambaram said the MHA should put to use its Sherlock Holmes-like skills to quell communal violence and terrorist activity, not to suppress Christian charity and humanitarian work.
गृह मंत्रालय का दावा है कि उसे "कुछ प्रतिकूल इनपुट" मिले हैं। गृह मंत्रालय को अपने शेरलॉक होम्स जैसे कौशल का इस्तेमाल सांप्रदायिक हिंसा और आतंकवादी गतिविधियों को दबाने के लिए करना चाहिए, न कि ईसाई दान और मानवीय कार्यों को दबाने के लिए।
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 28, 2021
Sharpening the attack on the Modi government, the ex-finance minister said: "As the year 2021 ends, it is clear that the Modi government has found another target — Christians — to advance its majoritarian agenda".
साल 2021 के खत्म होते ही यह साफ हो गया है कि मोदी सरकार ने अपने बहुसंख्यकवादी एजेंडे को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए एक और लक्ष्य 'ईसाई' बना लिया है।
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 28, 2021
Another senior Congress politician and former state chief of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh also lashed out at the Modi government.
A Christmas Gift from ModiShah depriving the poor inmates of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, their daily needs.
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) December 28, 2021
Shame on you Mr Amit Shah. #MissionariesOfCharity #BJP#RSSBullies https://t.co/XF6paeymeo
The federal Home Ministry has issued a statement, saying that the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) renewal application for the Missionaries of Charity was rejected on 25 December for not meeting eligibility conditions. An FCRA license is necessary for any organisation to receive donations from abroad.
"Missionaries of Charity (MoC) was registered under FCRA vide Registration No 147120001 and its registration was valid up to 31 Oct 2021. The validity was subsequently extended up to 31 Dec 2021 along with other FCRA Associations whose renewal application were pending renewal. However, while considering the MoC's renewal application, some adverse inputs were noticed. In consideration of these inputs on record, the renewal application of MoC was not approved. The FCRA registration of MoC was valid up to 31st December 2021. MHA did not freeze any accounts of MoC. [The] State Bank of India has informed that MoC itself sent a request to SBI to freeze its accounts", the statement reads.
The charity, for its part, also clarified on Monday evening that the organisation's FCRA registration had neither been suspended nor cancelled.
"We have been informed that our FCRA renewal application has not been approved. Therefore, as a measure to ensure there is no lapse, we have asked our centres not to operate any of the Foreign Currency accounts until the matter is resolved", the Missionaries of Charity said in a statement.
