Anurag Thakur targets Gandhi family, says PM CARES Fund ‘completely transparent’

Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs
Anurag Thakur on Saturday singled out the Gandhi family for mismanaging funds from
the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) while emphasising that
the PM CARES Fund was “completely transparent.”

Speaking during the sixth day of the Lok Sabha’s ongoing Monsoon Session, his comments came as a number of
opposition leaders, from the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All
India Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposed the setting up of the PM CARES Fund
while alleging that it lacks transparency.

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“The PM CARES Fund is completely transparent. It has
been set up under the law, registered as Trust under 1908 Act,” Thakur said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader further stated that the fund has the same auditor as the PMNRF.

“An independent
auditor, SARC & Associates, has been appointed, it’s the same auditor which
audits the PM National Relief Fund,” Thakur said.

“The trustees of the PM-CARES Fund are all ex
officio members, such as Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Home
Affairs and Minister of Finance. They (Congress) have doubts about the fund
because earlier, the trustees used to be individuals. Today, no individual,
organisation or political party, has any importance,” Thakur added.

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Thakur, an MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Harimpur, alleged
that funds from the PMNRF were diverted to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from
2005 to 2008.

“Was it not a conflict of interest that the trustee of
both funds (PMNRF and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation) was Sonia Gandhi during those
years?”

Continuing his onslaught on the Congress party, BJP MP
Anurag Thakur asked if those asking for an audit into the PM Cares Fund are
ready for an audit of trusts “managed by one family”.

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“PM-CARES Fund is a public charitable trust so it
was suggested that CAG audit is not required. But, if those who are demanding
CAG audit for this trust, are they ready for audit of all the trusts being
managed by one family?” Thakur enquired.

He also claimed that “not a single rupee from the PM
Cares Fund will be misused”.