'Why did Rajiv Gandhi Foundation take money from China?': Shivraj Singh Chouhan slams Congress over 'donation' row

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said that the people of the country want to know why did the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) "take money" from China.

"The country wants to know why Rajiv Gandhi Foundation took money from China? Sonia Gandhi will have to tell the country the truth. They get donations from China and do an MoU with the Chinese Communist Party. They should apologise to the country. Congress does not even have the right to speak in the matter of protecting the country," Chouhan said in the Chhattisgarh Jan Samvad programme.

"In 2005-06, China gave a donation of Rs 90 lakh to Congress. Does Congress have any shame? At that time, the chairperson of the Congress was Sonia Gandhi," he added.

Chouhan said, "Jawaharlal Nehru had advocated for making China a permanent member in the United Nations. Why is China shocked today after Prime Minister Narendra Modi built a road to the border? That is because India is the only country in the world that can move ahead of China in the future."

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said that Jawaharlal Nehru gave the slogan of 'Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai' (Indians and Chinese are brothers) but the latter himself did not know that when the Chinese did enter Indian territory in 1962

."When the Chinese had entered India, Congress had said in Parliament that what would they do with that land as even grass does not grow there while referring to Aksai Chin area," he said.

Chouhan stated that the current scenario is different under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"China forgot that it is not the India of 1962. This is Modi's India. We are in favour of peace and we will not provoke anyone but if someone provokes us, we will not leave them," he said.

Chouhan stated that Chhattisgarh's initials CG signified "credible growth" when Raman Singh was the state's Chief Minister, but today's CG signifies "chaotic governance".

"What does Chhattisgarh mean? CG meant credible growth when Raman Singh was Chief Minister. But today`s Chhattisgarh means chaotic governance. Raman Singh had led the state for 15 years and wrote a new chapter in development," he said.

Chouhan further said that the Prime Minister has done the work of increasing honour of the country in the world.

"Generations were spent to create the best India. Today, a New India has been formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," he said.

Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ramped up its attacks on the Congress in the recent days, claiming that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) had accepted donations from the Chinese embassy.

On Friday, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda had alleged that Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was donating money to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation during the UPA years while adding that to divert this public money into a family-run foundation is not only a "brazen fraud" but also a "big betrayal" of the people of India.

Sharing a list of donors for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the BJP chief alleged that there's a 'secret' relation between Congress and China, claiming that the Foundation received Rs 90 lakh from China and its embassy in 2005-06.

"PMNRF, meant to help people in distress, was donating money to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in UPA years. Who sat on the PMNRF board? Smt. Sonia Gandhi. Who chairs RGF? Smt. Sonia Gandhi. Totally reprehensible, disregarding ethics, processes and not bothering about transparency," he said in a series of tweets.

Congress rejected the charges and termed it an attempt to divert the country's attention from issues of national security.

The opposition continues to counter the central government on its convictions and has repeatedly asked whether the revelations will stop the Chinese activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the martyrdom of 20 Indian soldiers.

They have also highlighted that Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India twice in the last six years, adding that 'betrayal' is China's old policy.

(With ANI inputs)