Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), the NGO run by Salafist preacher Zakir Naik who is under the scanner for allegedly inspiring terrorists, confirmed it had made a Rs 50 lakh donation to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) in 2011. The Congress owned up to the donation, but claimed that the money did not come to RGF but to an allied entity, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and that the same was returned to IRF "some months ago". TOI had on Tuesday checked with RGF on the 50 lakh contribution from IRF but on Thursday, it denied having received the donation.

Congress's admission of the donation from IRF Naik's NGO followed questions from reporters on Friday. Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi was at pains to claim the donation was unsolicited, and a one-off affair.

More importantly, he emphasized that the donation preceded IRF's embroilment in allegations of terror and forced conversions, adding that Naik's NGO was not on the watchlist at the time.

"It (donation) was discovered by chance when the recent events happened... and some months ago, a remittance was made," Singhvi said in a reference to Naik and his IRF attracting attention after it turned out that two of the terrorists behind the July 1 Dhaka attack were allegedly inspired by Naik's speeches. The intense scrutiny since has revealed that the televangelist had also motivated 50 others who are in Indian jails on terror-related charges.

Organizations like IRF registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act are allowed to transfer money they receive from abroad to other FCRA-approved bodies. Both RGF and RGCT have FCRA licence.

The IRF spokesman accused the government of leaking "selective" information about its donations to high-profile NGOs as part of the conspiracy to ban Naik and his NGO even when there was no "solid evidence" of wrongdoing. "Zakir Naik is being targetted for his popularity among Muslims. The government has decided to ban IRF and is working backwards by throwing accusations at us such as paying Rs 50 lakh donation as 'bribe' to the Congress," the spokesman said.

TOI had learnt of the Rs 50 lakh IRF donation to RGF from home ministry sources on Monday.