BJP chief JP Nadda picked up where Ravi Shankar Prasad left off (File)
New Delhi:
BJP chief JP Nadda took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday after Mr Gandhi posted a screenshot of a news article that said the Prime Minister’s Office turned down a RTI request relating to the PM CARES fund.
In a series of three Mr Nadda described Rahul Gandhi as “the prince of incompetence “, described Mr Gandhi as a “loser” and accused him of “spreading fake news”.
“This happens when the ‘prince of incompetence’ shares articles without even reading them. The RTI was filed to know details of other RTIs and this is maliciously spun by you as an attack on transparency. Well, it’s natural given how your career is only based on spreading fake news,” Mr Nadda tweeted.
In the article shared by Mr Gandhi it was said the PMO had turned down the RTI (right to information) request on grounds that it would “disproportionately divert the resources of the office”.
Mr Gandhi wrote, along with the screenshot: “PM Cares for Right To Improbity”.
The RTI, filed by Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd), had asked for the total number of RTIs received and disposed by the PMO since April, and the number of these that were related to the PM CARES fund and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
The PMO responded partially, refusing to provide information specific to the funds. It said the information sought “was not maintained in compiled form”.
In his tweets Mr Nadda also criticised the opposition party’s “dubious legacy”, recalling allegations he made in June – that the Congress, during the Manmohan Singh administration, had diverted money from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund into the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
“Your family’s dubious legacy includes appropriating a permanent position in PMNRF and then diverting money from PMNRF into your family trusts. You and your mother also took money from the Chinese to hurt our national interest. Can anyone stoop lower?” he went on.
The Congress had earlier rubbished these allegations, calling them a “diabolical” attempt at diverting focus from the China crisis.
The BJP leader praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to “massive support” for the contentious PM CARES fund that was set up by the centre to help combat the Covid outbreak.
“The entire nation has full faith (in) the PM and his initiatives. This faith was yet again visible with the massive support for PM CARES. Being the loser you are, you can only crib and spread fake news while the entire nation has joined hands in the fight against COVID-19,” Mr Nadda declared.
