New Delhi: The Union’s Home Office said on Monday that it had not frozen any bank accounts of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa.
“The State Bank of India has informed that the Missionaries of Charity itself has sent a request to the SBI to freeze its accounts,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The Home Office also said the Missionaries of Charity’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) renewal application was denied on December 25 for failing to meet eligibility requirements.
“The renewal application under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for the renewal of the FCRA registration of Missionaries of Charity (MoC) was refused on December 25, 2021, for not having fulfilled the eligibility conditions under the FCRA 2010 and the rules of regulation of foreign contributions (FCRR) 2011, “the press release said.
“No request / request for revision has been received from the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) for the examination of this refusal of renewal”, he added.
The registration of Missionaries of Charity under the FCRA was valid until October 31, 2021. The Center said the validity was subsequently extended until December 31, 2021.
“However, during the consideration of the MoC renewal request, some unfavorable contributions were noted. In view of these recorded contributions, the MoC renewal request was not approved,” the statement said.
The Missionaries of Charity clarified that the Interior Ministry had not ordered the freezing of its accounts.
“We have been informed that our FCRA renewal request has not been accepted. Therefore, in order to ensure that there is no expiration, we have instructed our centers not to manage any of the accounts. FC until the issue is resolved, ”the organization said.
The Center issued a statement after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed the Center had blocked all Missionaries of Charity bank accounts.
Banerjee said the 22,000 patients and staff were left without food and medicine, adding that “humanitarian efforts must not be compromised.”
“Shocked to learn that at Christmas the Union Ministry froze all the bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s missionaries of charity in India! Mamata Banerjee tweeted on Monday.
War of words between the BJP and the opposition parties
The issue led to a political brawl, with Amit Malviya of the BJP stating: “Misinformed Mamata Banerjee is wrong, as always. This is what happens when you have your eye on Goa’s polls and religious polarization and not governance is the only calling card. TMC’s Bengal appeasement model has limited appeal and will not work in the rest of India. “
“The Missionaries of Charity are issuing a statement and that’s exactly what the Home Office said. If the two are on the same page, then what propaganda is Mamata Banerjee peddling? it a deliberate and underhanded attempt to spread disinformation? ” Malviya asked in another tweet.
Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Anand Sharma expressed shock at the Centre’s action.
“It is indeed shocking. When Mother Teresa wins a Nobel Prize, India rejoices. When her organization serves the poor and the destitute, the government cuts their funding. It is shameful,” Tharoor wrote on Twitter.
Anand Sharma demanded the Prime Minister’s intervention in this matter and an immediate annulment of the decision.
“Shocked by the government’s action to freeze the accounts of the Missionaries of Charity. Condemning the cruel, callous and inhuman decision that will hurt the sick and suffering poor the most,” tweeted Anand Sharma.
Trinamool Congressman Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, accused the Center of “punching” missionaries of charity and resorting to “false scraping and cover-up” .
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