In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct the Centre to transfer the contributions made to the PM CARES Fund for battling the COVID-19 pandemic to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The verdict, which comes a shot in the arm for the ruling BJP, however, was termed by the opposition Congress as a body blow to transparency and accountability" of the government.
"The verdict by the Supreme Court on PM CARES is a resounding blow to the nefarious designs of (former Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi and 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," BJP president J.P. Nadda tweeted.
He said the “orchestrated smear campaign” against PM CARES is an attempt by the Congress to wash its sins.
The BJP chief alleged that the Gandhi family treated Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) as its "personal fiefdom for decades and brazenly transferred citizens' hard-earned money from PMNRF to its family trusts".
“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.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also trashed Congress allegations, saying "transparency is writ large in the PM CARES Fund".
He accused Rahul Gandhi of sparing no effort to weaken the country's resolve in its fight against COVID-19.
The PM CARES Fund is a registered public trust create to fight emergencies like the coronavirus and added it has so far contributed Rs 3,100 crore in the battle against the pandemic, Prasad said.
However, the Congress said that the top court has let go an opportunity to bring in transparency in the fund which has "its own opaque and murky rules”.
"The SC judgment is a body blow to transparency and accountability of the government to people. It marks a sad letter day for responsibility and answerability of rulers to the electorate and remind them that they are not 'Monarchs' but 'servants of the people',” tweeted Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
“SC scrupulously believed that ‘sunlight is the best disinfectant’,” he said.
The SC judgement came on a PIL filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation', seeking a direction that all the money collected under the PM CARES Fund for the COVID-19 pandemic be transferred to the NDRF.
With inputs from PTI
