ICHR Scam Unmasked: SDPI Slams RSS-Linked Misuse of Public Funds

Adv. Sharfuddin Ahmad, National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India strongly condemns the alleged Rs 14.03 crore scam at the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), as uncovered by a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23. The revelations, reported by credible media sources, expose a disturbing pattern of financial irregularities, favoritism, and misuse of public funds involving individuals linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY), an RSS-affiliated organization.

The CAG audit identified 18 instances of financial mismanagement, including contracts were allegedly awarded to ABISY-linked entities without transparent bidding, and funds were disbursed for incomplete or non-existent projects, such as a Rs 2 crore payment for a seminar series that reportedly never occurred. The Central Vigilance Commission has recommended penalty proceedings against 15 current and former ICHR officials, including Saurabh Kumar Mishra, ICHR deputy director and nephew of ABISY chief Balmukund Pandey, alongside Narendra Shukla and Om Jee Upadhyay, both ABISY members.

These findings raise serious concerns about systemic corruption and the politicization of an autonomous academic institution tasked with promoting objective historical research. The Ministry of Education must release a detailed summary of the CAG audit findings and the status of CVC-recommended penalties. An independent committee of historians and auditors should be established to review ICHR’s operations and prevent future irregularities. Robust conflict-of-interest policies must be implemented to bar individuals with affiliations to ideological organizations from decision-making roles in academic bodies.