Missionaries of Charity accounts row: What led to the 'freeze' and what next for the charitable organisation

The Missionaries of Charity on Monday said it had asked its centres not to operate any foreign currency account till the issue of renewal of the organisation’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration was resolved. The clarification came after the Ministry of Home Affairs said earlier in the day that the Missionaries of Charity’s application for renewal of the FCRA registration was refused on 25 December for not meeting eligibility conditions, as some adverse inputs were received. However, the statement signed by Sister M Prema, Superior General of the famed missionary body set up by Saint Teresa of Calcutta, did not clarify whether it had asked State Bank of India to freeze its accounts, as claimed by the MHA. The ministry said SBI had informed that the organisation itself sent a request to the bank to freeze its accounts. “We would like to clarify that the FCRA registration of the Missionaries of Charity has been neither suspended nor cancelled. There is no freeze order by the MHA on any of our bank accounts. We have been informed that our FCRA renewal has not been approved. As a measure to ensure there is no lapse, we have asked our centres not to operate any of the FC accounts until the matter is resolved, the Missionaries of Charity statement said. Political slugfest ensues The MHA statement came hours after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed the Centre had frozen all bank accounts of the organisation founded by Mother Teresa. “Shocked to hear that on Christmas, Union Ministry FROZE ALL BANK ACCOUNTS of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in India! Their 22,000 patients & employees have been left without food & medicines. While the law is paramount, humanitarian efforts must not be compromised,” Banerjee tweeted.

Shocked to hear that on Christmas, Union Ministry FROZE ALL BANK ACCOUNTS of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in India!

Their 22,000 patients & employees have been left without food & medicines.

While the law is paramount, humanitarian efforts must not be compromised.

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 27, 2021

“Poorly informed Mamata Banerjee gets it wrong, like always. This is what happens when you have an eye on Goa polls and religious polarisation and not governance is the only calling card. TMC’s Bengal model of appeasement has limited appeal, won’t work in rest of India,” Amit Malviya, BJP’s co-incharge of West Bengal, said in a tweet. He also shared a statement on Twitter issued by the Missionaries of Charity, clarifying that the home ministry had not ordered freezing of its accounts. Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Anand Sharma expressed shock at the Centre’s action, too. “This is indeed shocking. When Mother Teresa wins a Nobel Prize, India rejoices. When her organisation serves the poor and destitute, the government cuts off their funding. Disgraceful,” Tharoor wrote on Twitter.

This is indeed shocking. When Mother Teresa wins a Nobel Prize, India rejoices. When her organisation serves the poor & destitute, the govt cuts off their funding. Disgraceful. https://t.co/dpHInSubqo

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 27, 2021

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Sharma demanded the prime minister’s intervention in the matter and an immediate reversal of the decision. “Shocked at the Government’s action of freezing the accounts of Missionaries of Charity. Condemning the cruel, insensitive and inhuman decision which will hurt the ailing and suffering poor the most,” he wrote on the microblogging website. The MHA said the application for the renewal of FCRA registration of MoC was refused on 25 December for not meeting the eligibility conditions under the FCRA 2010 and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules (FCRR) 2011. “No request or revision application has been received from Missionaries of Charity for review of this refusal of renewal,” the statement said. The Missionaries of Charity’s registration under the FCRA was valid up to October 31, 2021. The MHA said the validity was subsequently extended up to December 31, 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 statement said. The FCRA registration of MoC was valid up to 31 December, 2021 and the MHA did not freeze any account of the MoC. “The State Bank of India has informed that MoC itself sent a request to SBI to freeze its accounts,” the statement said. The Missionaries of Charity is a Catholic religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News ,  India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.