NEW DELHI: Uunior finance minister Anurag Thakur once again attacked Congress in Lok Sabha while raising the issue of funds Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) allegedly received from China “benefiting only one family”. In the past too, the minister has clashed with the main opposition party over “irregularities” in RGF.
Rahul Gandhi was in the House on Monday when barbs flew between Thakur and Congress’ Ravneet Singh Bittu over fund sallegedly received in PM Cares from public sector undertakings, including LIC.
The opposition benches raised questions on LIC going public and asked if diluting the government’s stake was in the interest of policy holders. Bittu said migrants suffered during the pandemic but LIC contributed to PM Cares. He urged the minister not to give a political answer.
Responding to Bittu’s remarks, Thakur said while there were instances when people donated their entire pension fund to PM Cares, even minimum wage earners did so to help others while on the other hand, there was one family which filled its own accounts.
“There is one family in the country which created Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and did the job of filling its accounts. Through the RGF, these people did not give priority to even the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund,” Thakur said.
This enraged Congress members who raised slogans to disrupt the minister’s statement. Thakur defended creation of PM’s Cares last year to provide relief to the population affected by Covid-19. He reminded members that migrants were provided free rations for three months.