‘Government using RGF issue to divert focus from security failure’

NEW DELHI: Accusing the BJP government of throwing a red herring to people by raising the issue of funding to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Congress on Saturday asked PM Narendra Modi if the Chinese incursion into India was provoked by the 2005 donation from the Chinese embassy and would end with its repayment. Congress also rubbished BJP’s charge that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi had donated money to RGF.
Congress member P Chidambaram said, “What does the grant of RGF 15 years ago have to do with the infiltration of Indian territory in 2020 under the supervision of Modi government? Suppose RGF returns Rs 20 lakh, will PM Modi assure the country that China will clear its encroachment and restore the status quo?”
Rubbishing Nadda’s allegation as a conspiracy, AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, “No amount has been received as donation from Mehul Choksi personally as has been falsely alleged. Nor has any loan ever been given by RGF to him. The records of RGF reflect receipt of a donation of Rs 10 lakh from Naviraj Estates Pvt. Ltd in 2013 of which Choksi was one of the directors. The entire world knows the connection of Choksi to the Modi government.”
Surjewala asked BJP if like RGF, RSS, Overseas Friends of BJP, Vivekanand Foundation and India Foundation will make public the list of domestic and foreign donors and the amounts received. He dared BJP to declare the names of donors who have paid it through electoral bonds. Terming BJP’s questions of RGF’s funding as an attempt to divert focus from its failure on national security, Congress said funds from the embassy were for research on Indo-China issues and handicapped welfare, while the money given by the PM National Relief Fund was used for tsumani relief in Andaman and Nicobar.