Congress alleged that the PM CARES fund is run like a “seemingly personal” fund of the Prime Minister which is not even subjected to audit by any public authority.
New Delhi| After BJP cornered Congress over the Chinese funds to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Congress hit back at BJP on Sunday saying donations from Chinese firms have poured into PM CARES fund also. Congress party causing PM Modi of having a “soft spot” for China, said hundreds of crores have been donated into PM CARES by a group of well-known Chinese firms such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Huawei, stressing that it is “most worrying and alarming for national security”.
Although the BJP has not said anything on this issue on record, party sources told NDTV, “Donation to the PM CARES fund for COVID-19 is not the same as donations for a private organization like the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation controlled by Sonia Gandhi and her family.”
Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, in a statement, said, “Reports suggest that as on May 20, 2020 PM Modi has received Rs 9,678 crores in the controversial Fund. The shocking part is that though Chinese forces have transgressed into our territory, Prime Minister has received the money in the Fund from Chinese companies”.
Listing eight questions that PM Modi should answer, the Congress spokesperson asked: “Has PM received Rs 7 Crore from the controversial company HUAWEI? Does HUAWEI have a direct connection with People’s Liberation Army, China? Has the Chinese company owning Tik Tok facilitated a donation of Rs 30 crores to the controversial PM CARES Fund? Has Paytm, which has a 38% Chinese ownership given 100 crores in the controversial Fund? Has XIAOMI, the Chinese company, committed Rs 15 Crore to the controversial Fund? Has the Chinese company OPPO, donated Rs 1 crore to this controversial Fund?”
Alleging that the PM CARES fund is run like a “seemingly personal” fund of the Prime Minister which is not even subjected to audit by any public authority or the Right To Information Act, the party said, “All in all, the Fund appears to be solely run by the Prime Minister in an opaque and secret fashion with zero transparency and zero accountability.”
Earlier this week, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad responded to Congress accusations of the government “surrendering” Indian territory in Ladakh to the Chinese, and said, “Did the then UPA government take a bribe from the Chinese? Is it not true that after taking this donation, the foundation recommended a free trade agreement with China, which was heavily tilted in favour of the Chinese?”
Congress and BJP have been involved in war of words since the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan valley of eastern Ladakh, where 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.
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