‘Chinese Connections’: BJP, Congress exchange barbs

New Delhi: BJP and Congress engaged in a war of words over each other’s ‘Chinese connections’. BJP started the dispute by saying the Chinese embassy and the government made donations to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies over a decade ago. BJP spokesman Amit Malviya and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad cited audited reports of the foundation. It drew a sharp reaction from Congress which asked BJP ‘not to digress’ from the Chinese incursions in Ladakh.

Prasad questioned the donations from China made to RGF and asked if FCRA rules were followed and if the foundation informed the government and for what purpose they were utilised. Malviya cited the 2006-2007 tax return of RGF to say the Chinese embassy had donated ₹90 lakh to the foundation.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: “The only CM who visited China 4 times is (Gujarat CM) Modi, the only PM who visited China five times is PM Modi, the only PM who called the Chinese premier three times is PM Modi. Please stop living in 2005 and start answering questions in 2020... Is it not true that RSS held a consultation in 2009 with Chinese Communist Party and did not Rajnath Singh receive and hold a meeting with Chinese delegation in 2008? Is it not true that then BJP president Nitin Gadkari on January 19, 2011, led a delegation to China and held consultations? Are these consultations anti-India? Is it not true that BJP sent a 13-member parliamentary delegation to China to study their political system, were these anti-India activities?”