NEW DELHI: Janata Party leader Dr. Subramanium Swamy alleged that the premises of Rashtrapati Bhavan are being “misused” for promotion of a private trust Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) by Lakshmi Venkatesan daughter of President R.Venkataraman.

Venkatesan who is a resident of the USA is one of the trustees of the BYST and a “moving force” behind it Dr.Swamy alleged at a press conference. She has given her address as a trustee of the BYST “c/o Rashvapati Bhavan” which according to Dr.Swamy is illegal.

Dr.Swamy alleged the “premises letter heads and telephones” of the. Presidents House is being used to “collect funds for this private trust from various corporations including foreign multinational companies.” The funds thus collected have not been reported to the authorities as required under the Income Tax and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act the Janata Party leader alleged.

He has demanded a CBI enquiry into the assets of the legal trustees of the BYST acquired since September 1990 and urged President Venkataraman to step down from office as a “partial atonement.”

Dr.Swamy said P.Murart secretary to the President had used his official letter head to collect funds from various corporations including foreign companies and sought to substantiate his allegations by releasing photocopies of a letter written by Murari to one Avininder Singh managing director Danfoss India Lid. Murari had offered to arrange a meeting in Rashtrapati Bhavan to discuss details about the trust. Dr.Swamy has demanded the release for “public scrutiny” all such letters written on behalf of the trust as this is “wholly improper and derogatory” to the prestige of the Rashtrapat Bhavan.

The leader said the Government had admitted in Rajya Sabha on December 17 in a written reply to a question put by him that Laksmi Venkatesan is one of the trustees of the BYST

The BYST was created on January 18 1991 with a donation of Rs.1000 from H.P.Nanda chairman of Escorts and one of the trustees. The main object of the trust is to undertake and promote scientific research in evolving methodologies.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1992