'Kamal Nath as UPA minister connived with China': Madhya Pradesh BJP chief

The Madhya Pradesh BJP on Saturday claimed that senior Congress leader and former CM Kamal Nath favoured China when he was commerce and industries minister in the UPA government. MP BJP chief VD Sharma claimed that Nath reduced import duties on 250 items manufactured in that country. He also said that his party would burn effigies of Nath across the state on Sunday.

"Nath, in connivance with China, gave exemptions ranging from 40 to 200 percent in import duty on such products, which were available in the country itself. This affected the livelihood of artisans, wood, bamboo, clay traders among others, rendered people unemployed and destroyed small and cottage industries," Sharma alleged.

Kamal Nath refute claims 

Hitting back, Kamal Nath, in a series of tweets, said the BJP's allegations were an attempt to divert the attention of people from real issues like fuel price hikes etc.  "The BJP is an expert in raising issues which have nothing to do with today. Where was the BJP for so many years, why was it silent? Those who have been showing friendship with China for years, have been travelling there regularly, have been boasting friendship (with China), they are making false accusations today to save themselves," Kamal Nath tweeted.

Meanwhile, MP Congress media cell in charge and former state minister Jitu Patwari claimed imports from China had tripled under BJP rule at the Centre.

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

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. 

READ | Coronavirus Live Updates

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 | Subramanian Swamy calls for 6 criminal cases against Cong after JP Nadda's 'Ten Questions'

BJP chief poses 10 questions

On Saturday, BJP National President JP Nadda continued to question the Congress party over the alleged 'Rajiv Gandhi Foundation scam.' The BJP President posed 10 questions for the Congress to answer and also claimed that the RGF took hefty donations from major Indian corporates, in the name of 'poor people.' Nadda asserted that one should not 'shy away' from the questions that the nation wants to know and stated that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should not try to divert from these questions by using COVID-19 or the situation with China as a shield. 

READ | BJP's Amit Malviya Alleges Cong-backed RGF Receiving 'protection Money' From Mehul Choksi

 Moreover, the BJP President highlighted that the Indian government and the Army are capable of protecting India's sovereignty, adding that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led administration has also fought with COVID-19 pandemic in the 'best possible manner.' Addressing the media on Saturday, JP Nadda posed several questions for the Congress party regarding their tenure at the Centre and how they 'betrayed' the trust of the people while they were in power.