Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram shot back on Saturday at BJP President JP Nadda for speaking “half-truths” following his allegations of corruption over donation of Rs 20 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund(PMNRF) to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) in 2005, during the UPA regime and questioned the government if it returned the amount will Prime Minister Narendra Modi assure the country that China will “vacate its transgression” and “restore” the LAC.

Former finance minister spoke after the Congress party yesterday clarified that the Rs 20 lakh donation received from the PMNRF was used for the relief work in Andaman and Nicobar islands following the 2004 tsunami.

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Chidambaram took to Twitter and in a series of tweets said,  “BJP President Nadda specialises in speaking half-truths. My colleague Randeep Surjewala exposed his half truths yesterday.”

BJP President Mr Nadda specialises in speaking half-truths. My colleague Mr Randeep Surjewala exposed his half truths yesterday.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) June 27, 2020

He further said, “Why is the BJP hiding the fact that the Rs 20 lakh received by RGF from PMNRF in 2005 was for tsunami relief work in Andaman and Nicobar? And that every rupee was spent for the purpose and accounted for?”

Further questioning the Centre over face-off with China in Ladakh’s Galvan Valley, the Congress leader asked, “What has the grant to RGF 15 years ago got to do with China’s intrusion into Indian territory in 2020 under the watch of the Modi government?”

Taking a pot shot at the government, the 74-year-old Chidambaram 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?”

Hitting out at the BJP President, he said, “Nadda, come to terms with reality and “don’t live in the past that is distorted by your half-truths and please answer our questions on Chinese intrusion into Indian territory,” he said.

The BJP on Friday had continued with its attacks against Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi on the issue of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) receiving donations from the Chinese Embassy in 2005, as ruling party president JP Nadda accused her of diverting the money of the citizens during the UPA rule into a family run foundation.

The statement issued by chief spokesperson of the Congress, Randeep Singh Surjewala, on behalf of RGF, on Friday said,  “Pursuant to the unprecedented tsunami in the last week of 2004, RGF received a modest amount of Rs 20 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund in the Financial Year 2005 which was duly utilised to undertake relief activities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”

The statement said that this grant was used for the purposes specified.

“RGF accounts were duly audited and statutory returns were filed under Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) to the Government of India. This grant has been duly reflected in all filings to the income tax and the Home Ministry and no authority has ever found any wrongdoing of any nature,” the statement said.

“Diversion, disinformation and distraction” are the diabolical hallmarks of the BJP and the Narendra Modi government when exposed and caught lying on issues of national security and territorial integrity, alleged Surjewala.

The Congress leader said that the facts in the public domain clearly establish that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deliberately misled the nation on the issue of Chinese transgressions and “the brazen occupation of our territory”.