The Union home ministry has served a showcause notice to two NGOs run by social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).The ministry has sought a reply within 15 days.
The two NGOs, Sabarang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), were served the notice after an on-site inspection of records and books of accounts carried out by a home ministry official earlier this year.
According to ministry sources, the duo was running a magazine ‘Communalism Combat’ as co-editors as well as being printers and publishers of their company, Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Ltd (SCPPL), and allegedly received foreign contribution.
Under FCRA rules, no foreign contribution can be accepted by any correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered newspaper.