BJP's Amit Malviya alleges Cong-backed RGF receiving 'protection money' from Mehul Choksi

As the political blame game between BJP and Congress continues, on Saturday, BJP leader Amit Malviya has accused Congress of accepting money from fugitive Mehul Choksi in 2014-15 as a fund in its Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Taking to Twitter, Malviya claimed that Choksi was being protected by Congress and cited a 2015 case in Karnataka where no charge sheet was filed. Mocking the party after levelling the allegation, Malviya said if 'Donations to RGF = protection money?'

Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi are accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam in which fraudulent letters of undertaking worth ₹11,356.84 crore were issued. Both fled India in 2018, before the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) began investigations. Both the businessmen are being investigated by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Nirav Modi was arrested last year in London and is fighting extradition to India from jail.

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Chidambaram admits money diversion 

Even as senior Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed BJP chief JP Nadda for alleging a 'Rajiv Gandhi Foundation scam', he has admitted that funds from PM National Relief Fund were diverted to Congress-backed RGF. Taking to Twitter, Chidambaram has said that Rs 20 lakhs received by RGF from the PM National Relief Fund in 2005 was utilised in tsunami relief work in Andaman & Nicobar.

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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.

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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”.

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