The discussion on a bill to amendment taxation laws on Thursday witnessed a full-blown battle between the opposition and the Modi government over the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund set up in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Members of the Congress, Trinamool, RSP, targeted the “non-transparent” nature of the PM-CARES fund, a charge that was strongly rebutted by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her deputy Anurag Thakur.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra accused the government of accepting donations to the PM-CARES fund from Chinese companies at a time when Indian Army was engaged in a violent face-off on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
“Why did you take this money from our enemies? Why do you not return this tainted money? I am sure, no dying Indian would want to be on a ventilator paid for by the enemy money at this time. I ask you; would they,” asked Moitra, who had moved the Supreme Court against the fund.
Thakur singled out the Congress, accusing it of setting up Funds in every member of a particular family with an eye on grabbing land worth crores of rupees in prominent locations across the country.
Hitting out at the Congress, Thakur said the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had in 1948 set up the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) through a “royal decree” and successive governments had not found it necessary to register the Fund.
He claimed that monies from the PMNRF were channelised to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) from 2005 to 2009 which is chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Thakur accused the Congress of getting the audit of the PMNRF done by favoured auditors and members from the family were appointed to gubernatorial posts.
As Thakur lashed out at the Congress leadership, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury cited the rule book contending that the minister was levelling allegations against Sonia Gandhi, who is travelling abroad for medical reasons.
Congress Deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi demanded to know why the government had not launched an inquiry into the funds of the Vivekananda Foundation, the India Foundation and Overseas Friends of the BJP.
“Unlike the RGF, these foundations do not receive funds from the Consolidated Fund of India,” Sitharaman shot back, accusing the Congress of resorting to rumour-mongering against the government.
“You indulged in rumour-mongering on Rafale and people gave you a befitting response,” Sitharaman said.