GUWAHATI: An FIR was lodged with the police against Ajmal Foundation, an organisation run by Assam MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, for receiving funds from some foreign agencies, allegedly linked to terrorist groups.
The complaint, lodged by right-wing leader Satya Ranjan Borah in Guwahati on Friday, was based on the report of Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), a legal rights body.
“Ajmal Foundation, an organisation run by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, chief of AIUDF, being funded by some foreign agencies which are related to funding different terrorist groups and their terror activities as reported by an NGO Legal Rights Observatory…
“Considering the report, we want proper investigation in this connection under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act…Ajmal Foundation has misused those foreign funds in several anti-national activities,” Borah alleged in the FIR.
Demanding that the culprits be brought to book and awarded punishment for maintenance of national integrity, sovereignty, and social harmony, Borah suggested that some information containing in the FIR may be passed on to the Enforcement Directorate for investigation.
The LRO had tweeted: “#FCRAViolation Ajmal Foundation of @BadruddinAjmal got Rs 69.55 Cr for educn, used only Rs 2.05 Cr for it, rest routed for #AIUDF, to counter @himantabiswa's #Hindutva juggernaut, #Turkish n UK terror grps funded it in crores! Wrote @HMOIndia for #FCRA cancellation”.
It further wrote: “Needless to say why Ajmal Foundation has spent just 2.5% of its foreign donations on actual cause of education (for which it received) n you would come to know where did rest money go!”
Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told journalists that people always had a feeling that Ajmal spent from his pocket and did humanitarian work but reality was different.
“There was a time when he (Ajmal) used to receive Rs 70-75 crore from foreign agencies. With that, he ran a hospital and did some other work. An established institution, which exposed many cases of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violations, has claimed that the sources, Ajmal received the funds from, are related to terrorism,” Sarma said.
He was hopeful the Central government would carry out a probe. The Ajmal Foundation rubbished the charges
“Some serious charges have been levelled against us. We too want an investigation. It will make things clear,” the foundation’s director Khasrul Islam said.
According to him, the foundation receives Rs 40-50 crore annually from five to eight UK-based agencies under FCRA.
“The money comes mainly for distribution of relief and education-related activities,” Islam said. He denied receipt of money from any Saudi Arabia-based agencies.
Badruddin Ajmal Ajmal also trashed the charges. “The allegations, levelled against the foundation by a BJP-RSS NGO, are politically-motivated and a conspiracy to defame me. The Central government monitors the funds transactions.”
According to him, the government examines if the amount was utilised for the purpose it was sent.
“Government of India keeps an eye on it. We are required to submit reports on receipt and expenditures. Such funds have been coming for long. If we are indulging in any wrongdoing, would the government not have gone after us?” Ajmal asked.
He said the UK government also scrutinizes funds allocations. “If the agencies are funding for terror activities, the UK government would have cancelled their licences,” he said.