Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi after the Supreme Court verdict on the PM Cares Fund, Union Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Congress leader never spared any opportunity to weaken the national resolve in the fight against Covid-19.
Addressing a press conference, Prasad said there was complete transparency in the management of the fund and the NDA government had “not faced even a single accusation of corruption”.
“Rahul Gandhi questioned PM Cares Fund but the Supreme Court has shot down all his arguments. Transparency is writ large in PM CARES Fund both in terms of legal requirement and transparent management of funds received on a voluntary basis,” Prasad said.
“Gandhi has never missed an opportunity to weaken the resolve of the nation in its fight against the virus.” he further said.
The Supreme Court Tuesday said the money deposited in the PM Cares Fund need not be transferred to the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). The court also dismissed a petition filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation, which had claimed the Centre was “refraining from divulging information” about the money “contributed to the PM CARES Fund till date”.
At the same time, Prasad alleged that money from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) was given to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power.
Entailing the details of the spending done under the PM CARES Fund, Prasad said, “So far, Rs 3,100 crore has been given from PM Cares Fund in the fight against Corona, out of which Rs 2000 crore has been given for ventilators. 50,000 ventilators are provided through the PM Cares Fund.”
“Over Rs 1,000 crore were given from the PM Cares Fund to the states to arrange for the migrant labourers. Rs 100 crore has been given for research of Corona vaccine,” he added.
BJP President J P Nadda described the Supreme Court decision as a “resounding blow to the nefarious designs” of Rahul Gandhi and his “band of rent a cause” activists.
“The verdict by the Supreme Court on PM CARES is a resounding blow to the nefarious designs of Rahul Gandhi & his band of ?rent a cause’ activists. It shows that the truth shines despite the ill intent and malicious efforts of the Congress party and its associates,” Nadda tweeted.
Hitting out at Gandhi, Nadda said his “rants” have been repeatedly dismissed by the common man who has “overwhelmingly” contributed to the PM CARES fund.
“With the highest court also pronouncing its verdict, will Rahul and his ‘rent a cause activist army’ mend their ways or embarrass themselves further,” he asked.
Meanwhile, the Congress called the top court’s order a “body blow to transparency and accountability” of the government to the people.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the apex court let go an opportunity to bring in transparency in the fund which has “its own opaque and murky rules” and, thereby, deviated from the belief that “sunlight is the best disinfectant”.
“The SC judgment is a body blow to transparency & accountability of Govt to people. It marks a sad letter day for responsibility & answerability of rulers to the electorate and remind them that they are not ‘Monarchs’ but ‘servants of the people’,” he said in a tweet.
“SC scrupulously believed that ‘sunlight is the best disinfectant’. Today, the Court, in a departure from that tradition, passed up an opportunity to demand answers on the #PMCaresFund that seeks public money but plays by its own opaque & murky rules,” he said.
