Sambit Patra slams Chidambaram's attempt to defend 'RGF scam', rakes up INX media case

Amid the political uproar between BJP and Congress over the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation scam, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra has now counter attacked P. Chidambaram over his attempt to defend his party.  Earlier in the day, Chidambaram in his tweet said 'Suppose RGF returns the Rs 20 lakh, will PM Modi assure the country that China will vacate its transgression and restore status quo ante?". The Congress leader's statement came after several allegations from the BJP over RGF "scam".

Patra used the controversial INX media case as a weapon to counter attack Chidambaram's statement and said "Suppose you return all the corrupt Money that you had usurped in INX media & other cases will the Supreme Court not send you to jail?"

Patra further said that PM Narendra Modi has already clarified over Chinese intrusion at the LAC and asked the Congress leader to get his fact right.

"PS: “No Intrusion” is what the PM said Get your facts right!!", Patra said in his tweet.

READ | Congress admits diversion of PM Relief Fund to RGF; accuses BJP of speaking 'half-truths'

READ | Shiv Sena defends Congress on 'RGF scam' allegation, asks 'will it stop Chinese intrusion'

The political blame game between BJP and Congress commenced after 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred in a violent clash with Chinese troops at the LAC on June 15. While the latter questioned the Centre's handling of the crisis, BJP accused the Congress leadership of having close ties with China. 

Congress faces serious accusations

BJP raised that Congress-backed RGF had received a donation of Rs.90 lakh from the Chinese Embassy in India in 2006-07. While Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of the trust, senior party leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Dr.Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra serve as trustees.

BJP president JP Nadda shared documents to show that the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund money had been donated to the RGF. Terming this as a "brazen fraud", Nadda contended that one family's hunger for wealth had cost India immensely. While the Congress party has admitted that an MoU was signed with CPC, it is yet to respond on the allegations pertaining to the controversial donations to the RGF. 

The MoU signed between former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Wang Jiarui, Minister of the International Department of Central Committee of the CPC on August 7, 2008, has also come in for criticism. The agreement reportedly pertained to exchanging high-level information and cooperation between Congress and the CPC besides providing the two parties with the "opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”.

READ | Congress admits diversion of PM Relief Fund to RGF; accuses BJP of speaking 'half-truths'

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

According to its website, Delhi-based RGF was set up on June 21, 1991, and is currently chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The other trustees include senior party leaders like former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Rahul Gandhi, Sanjiv Goenka, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among others. RGF says it works in five key areas — literacy, promotion of science & technology, empowerment of the underprivileged and handicapped, promotion of excellence in aviation, and operates a think tank named RGICS.

READ | 'RGF scam was raised by me in 2015, govt must act now': Subramanian Swamy