Uddhav Thackeray demands probe into PM CARES Fund amid inquiry into Covid centre 'scam'
Thackeray’s demand comes after the Enforcement Directorate’s action against people close to him in an alleged Covid-centre scam.
Published: 24th June 2023 08:09 PM | Last Updated: 24th June 2023 08:55 PM | A+A A-
A file photo of Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. (Photo | PTI)
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday demanded a probe into the PM CARES fund.
Thackeray’s demand comes after the Enforcement Directorate’s action against people close to him in an alleged Covid-centre scam.
“If central agencies are free and fair, then they should probe into the functioning of civic bodies of Nagpur, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, as well as governments in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat - all of which were or are led by the Bharatiya Janata Party - and Thane, which was controlled by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. We are open to all sort of probe, it should be everywhere,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Uddhav Thackeray questioned where the money from the PM CARES fund goes and said that many ventilators provided under this fund were found to be faulty.
He said under the Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act, the municipal corporations were empowered to take decisions to procure the medicine so that as many as lives should be saved in a pandemic.
“My work as a chief minister was appreciated across the world that BJP cannot stomach it. I was in the top ten chief ministers list, which did not feature any BJP chief minister. I worked for the people. BJP wants to ruin my image ahead of the BMC elections. But people are wise enough to understand its propaganda,” Thackeray said.
Thackeray also said that Fadnavis should refrain from attacking families. He took a jibe at Fadnavis, saying that if “we started speaking about the leaked WhatsApp chats (in connection with Amruta Fadnavis and bookie Anil Singhania),” the deputy CM will no option but to “do Shavasana.”
In response to this, Fadnavis said these WhatsApp chats are part of the chargesheet and it has been put in deliberately.
“We have nothing to hide. These allegations are childish,” Fadnavis said.
The ED has carried out searches at the premises of people who are reportedly close to Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray.
Searches were carried out at the central purchase department of the BMC as well. It has also collected a lot of documents related to purchase orders during the pandemic.
The ED is probing alleged irregularities in the allotment of a civic contract to a firm to operate a jumbo Covid treatment facility.
