Can you assure China will leave Indian land if RGF returns Rs 20 lakh: Chidambaram to PM Modi

Can you assure China will leave Indian land if RGF returns Rs 20 lakh: Chidambaram to PM Modi

Chidambaram gave this statement after BJP President JP Nadda had made claims against the RGF. Chidambaram accused the BJP president of speaking 'half-truths' and asked him to 'come to terms with reality' and not live in the past

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed the BJP-led government on Saturday saying that would Prime Minister Narendra Modi assure the country that China would leave Indian borders and restore status quo in the region if Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) returned the Rs 20 lakh it had taken as donation earlier.

Chidambaram gave this statement after BJP President JP Nadda had made claims against the RGF. Chidambaram accused the BJP president of speaking "half-truths" and asked him to "come to terms with reality" and not live in the past. Chidambaram has also asked the BJP president to answer the question raised by Congress regarding the recent Galwan valley incident and the alleged Chinese intrusion into Indian territory.

"Suppose RGF returns the Rs 20 lakh, will PM Modi assure the country that China will vacate its transgression and restore status quo ante," he asked on Twitter. In another tweet, Chidambaram added, "Mr Nadda, come to terms with reality, don't live in the past that is distorted

 by your half-truths. Please answer our questions on Chinese intrusion into Indian territory,"

Chidambaram also shared two satellite images of the Galwan Valley, one taken in May and the other in June. Drawing attention to the build-up of troops and structures along the river, Chidambaram said, "Spot the differences between May 22 and June 22, 2020, on the INDIA-CHINA border,".

Earlier, Nadda had claimed that the Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF) had donated large sums of money to the "family-run" RGF fund back when the Congress-led UPA government was in charge. Nadda had called this a "brazen fraud" and a betrayal of the people

 of the country. Nadda had further gone on to say that the Congress party and the Gandhi family had accepted donations from the Chinese embassy in India.

Late on Friday, Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had issued a statement, responding to Nadda's allegation against the party. He said that the RGF Foundation issue being raised by the BJP government is a tactic to divert attention from the situation at the LAC in Ladakh.

"Diversion, disinformation and distraction are the diabolical hallmarks of the BJP and the Modi government when exposed and caught lying on issues of national security and territorial integrity," Surjewala had said.

Surjewala also said that the BJP keeps referring to a 2005 grant of Rs 1.45 crore received by the RGF from the Chinese embassy. He said that the grant was issued for the purpose of a welfare programme for the differently-abled and research on the Sino-India relationship.

"This grant was used for the purposes specified. RGF accounts were duly audited and statutory returns filed under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) to the government of India. This grant has been duly reflected in all filings to the Income-Tax department and home ministry and no authority has ever found any wrongdoing of any nature," Surjewala said.