Cong questions four ministers on private think-tank

Conflict of interest? 

New Delhi : The Congress questioned directorship of four union ministers on a Delhi-based private think-tank that lobbies for national and foreign corporate houses with the government and also put in the dock National Security Adviser Ajit Doval since his businessman son Shaurya is running the show. Its vice-president Rahul Gandhi also had a dig in a Tweet at the rise of NSA’s businessman son, linking it with Jay Shah, the businessman son of BJP President Amit Shah, who was in news recently on how his company flourished after the BJP came to power at the Centre.

The minister’s role in the think-tank, India Foundation, amounts to “conflict of interest” as the private body has been getting funds from Indian and foreign companies, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal asserted at a press conference. He demanded a CBI probe into activities of India Foundation to ascertain whether any of its minister directors had influenced the government in changing its policies to suit companies associated with its programmes and providing it funds.

The Foundation, which was set up in 2009 by BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, an RSS ”pracharak” on loan to the party, has Shaurya Doval as its executive director. He too can influence the government decisions through his father Ajit Doval, who is very close to PM Modi, Sibal said.

He asked the Prime Minister to sack all four ministers as anyone taking oath of office as a minister has to disassociate himself from all businesses and that includes the private trusts like the India Foundation, particularly when it is engaged in liaison with the government on behalf of the private parties. He said a CBI probe will also reveal any role played by NSA Doval and the four ministers in influencing the government’s policies and decisions.

Four ministers, who are on the board of directors of the Foundation, are Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, Minister of State (MoS) for external affairs M J Akbar and MoS Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, son of controversial former union minister Yashwant Sinha.