Rajiv Gandhi Foundation took money from China:BJP
NEW DELHI : As Congress allegation of the government “surrendering” India to China has intensified, the BJP has hit back with a strong political allegation. The saffron BJP has accused the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation(RGF) of receiving donations from the Chinese embassy in India. The party alleges that these donations were made in 2005-06.
The Congress party has found itself in a soup after the recent developments over its signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with China in 2008 when the United Progressive Alliance government was in power.
The BJP alleged that according to the annual report of 2005-06, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received a donation of $300,000 from China during 2005-06.from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. The donation was included in the list of general donors.
As per the Annual Report 2005-06 put out by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Embassy of People’s Republic of China (PRC) was one of the donors to the organisation. In addition to that, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies also had ‘Government of People’s Republic of China’ as one of the donors.
Moreover, under the Congress rule, a study named ‘India China free trade agreement and a study of the feasibility’ was conducted to facilitate free trade between both the countries.
“Did the then UPA government take a bribe from the Chinese? Is it not true that after taking this donation, the foundation recommended a free trade agreement with China, which was heavily tilted in favor of the Chinese,” Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
According to media Reports , the Congress had colluded with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for various initiatives and the Chinese government had also donated large sums of money to the Foundation.
The BJP has been attacking the Congress party after the Opposition launched an attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the handling of the Ladakh standoff and Galwan Valley clash with China along the Line of Actual Control.
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi is in the eye of the storm after a few days back a photograph emerged on media that showed the Gandhi scion signing an MoU with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the presence of Sonia Gandhi in 2008.
The memorandum was signed to facilitate top-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries and consult each other over key international and regional issues.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday lashed out at the Congress after it was revealed that Rajiv Gandhi Foundation(RGF) headed by Sonia Gandhi had received Rs 90 lakh from the Chinese Embassy.Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of the RGF and its board has Dr Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, P Chidambaram and Priyanka Gandhi.
Prasad said the Congress needed to explain why the Chinese Embassy donated the amount to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation saying there is a pattern as to why the grand old party does not condemn China.
“10 years rule of Manmohan Singh government is littered with various evidence as to how the Congress tried to support China thereby making it earn tonnes of money by permitting the increase of trade deficit 33 times,” alleged Prasad.
The Minister further said that the comprehensive free-trade agreement between India and China pushed by the Congress caused grave economic losses to the nation.
Mr Prasad also accused the then UPA government of not mentioning this donation anywhere in the government records. “The Congress must answer that if they took money from the Chinese embassy, how was this money put to use?” he said.
Meanwhile, The Congress has hit back at these allegations and called them a diversionary tactic.The party said the donation being referred to was carried out in a transparent manner and all details are listed out on the website. It is also part of the annual report of the foundation.
The Congress said pro-government foundations like the Vivekanand Foundation have also received donations from different sources – this does not imply that they are anti-national.
