A state government Chief Minister’s advisor Dr. Anand Bang has come under scrutiny after questions were raised over the activities of NGOs run by his family, NIRMAN and SEARCH, their participation in protests supporting Sonam Wangchuk, and the organisations’ stated apolitical position.
Dr. Anand Bang’s LinkedIn profile states that he is an Advisor to the Chief Minister, Maharashtra.
But he belongs to the family that runs the NGOs NIRMAN and SEARCH. NIRMAN’s social media accounts have shared posts calling people to join protests in support of Sonam Wangchuk.
It is alleged that Dr Anand Bang, who serves as Joint Director of SEARCH, Gadchiroli, Advisor to Tata Trusts, and Advisor to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is associated with an NGO network that is actively participating in the Sonam Wangchuk agitation.
It is noteworthy that Dr Anand Bang’s family runs the NGOs SEARCH and NIRMAN. While NIRMAN describes itself as a youth educational initiative rather than a political organisation, screenshots shared from its own website state that:
- NIRMAN is not a political movement and does not align itself with any political views or party politics.
- It is not a religious organisation.
- It prohibits the use of the NIRMAN name or logo for political stands, public statements, advertisements, news, or fundraising.
However, screenshots from NIRMAN’s official social media pages show the organisation promoting participation in the Sonam Wangchuk protest, displaying messages such as “Come & Join Us” and listing protest locations under the banner of a “Peaceful Protest.”
The posts are proof enough that children and young participants are being mobilised for political protests, despite NIRMAN’s stated policy of remaining apolitical.
Extremely important.
Respected @Dev_Fadnavis Ji
It looks like someone is backstabbing you and your party, BJP.Dr Anand Bang is your advisor. His family runs the NGOs Nirman and SEARCH.
Their NGO, Nirman, is actively taking part in a protest in support of Sonam Wangchuk.
Most… pic.twitter.com/fZQz6EPpJA
— Office Of Vijay Patel (@VijayGajeraO) July 19, 2026
Another point to be noted is the presence of Yogendra Yadav as a Resource Person on NIRMAN’s official website. Yadav, who is one of the alleged masterminds of the Delhi protest and a close associate of the Gandhi family, is listed alongside historian Ramachandra Guha and playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar among NIRMAN’s resource persons.
What must also be scrutinised are NIRMAN’s funding sources. Documents shared online list Cognizant Foundation India among the organisation’s funding supporters, along with Infosys Foundation, Tata Trusts, National Rural Health Mission, Government of Maharashtra, Wipro Cares, Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, MacArthur Foundation, Dalal Foundation, Heal For India, Indians for Collective Action (USA), Indira Foundation (USA), Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited, Tribal Development Department of Maharashtra, and several other institutional donors.
The controversy further extends to Pankaj Khobragade, identified as a Senior Associate at Cognizant.
It is alleged that Khobragade has been involved in mobilising people from Maharashtra to Delhi for the Sonam Wangchuk protest with the assistance of leaders from Marxist organisations – this can be proven from the fact that Khobragade is the admin of the WhatsApp group for this specific purpose.
The involvement of a Cognizant employee, coupled with Cognizant Foundation’s financial support for NIRMAN, raises questions about the role of corporate-funded NGOs in political mobilisation.
This is even more worrisome, dear @Dev_Fadnavis Ji
American IT company Cognizant is one of the funders of this NGO.
Shockingly, senior associate Pankaj Khobragade is involved in mobilizing people from Maharashtra to Delhi with the help of leaders of Marxist outfits.
I request… https://t.co/5fZwoKTvz3 pic.twitter.com/MHk3W7kKF6
— Office Of Vijay Patel (@VijayGajeraO) July 19, 2026
It is alleged that foreign-funded NGOs have received nearly ₹3 lakh crore over the past two decades and this NGO ecosystem is attempting to resist tighter regulation through the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) framework.
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