Centre needs to maintain transparency in fighting COVID-19: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Government must start giving transparency to its actions in fighting COVID-19 by cooperating with states and making them partners in decision-making.
Addressing a press conference through video conference, he said the lockdown is not an on/off switch and it is a transition which requires cooperation of all - Centre, states, district magistrates and the people of India.
The Congress leader also called upon the prime minister to devolve power and take the states and district magistrates into confidence.
"We need to decentralise power in dealing with the virus. If we keep this fight only in PMO, we will lose. The PM must devolve power. If we centralise, there will be a calamity. PM has to trust chief ministers and chief ministers have to trust district magistrates," he said.
Gandhi also called upon the government to tell the people what criteria it would use to open the lockdown or continue it post May 17.
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Poll affidavit: Modi's assets total Rs 3 crore, mostly fixed deposits
Varanasi (UP), May 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses assets amounting to a little over Rs 3 crore, most of it in bank fixed deposits, according to his election affidavit.
As required, Modi submitted the affidavit while filing his nomination papers Tuesday as an election candidate from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency, a seat he has held twice earlier.
According to the affidavit displayed on the Election Commission website, his movable assets are worth Rs 3,02,06,889. Most of this amount is in the form of fixed deposits with the State Bank of India that total over 2.85 crore.
Other assets include four gold rings weighing 45 grams valued at Rs 2.67 lakh, cash in hand totalling Rs 52,920, National Savings Certificates worth Rs 9.12 lakh and income tax deduction of Rs 3.33 lakh for the past financial year.
Under “immovable assets”, the affidavit says "Nil". Typically, land and houses fall under this category.
Jashodaben is mentioned as Modi’s spouse. On assets held by her, the document says "Not known". The two live apart.
No criminal case is pending against Modi, nor has he been convicted of any crime, according to the document. There are no liabilities due to the government.
The prime minister is described as a resident of Ahmedabad, and his profession as public life and political activity.
He did his SSC in 1967, got a BA degree from Delhi University in 1978 and an MA from Gujarat University in 1983.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi had declared assets worth Rs 2.5 crore including a residential plot in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, fixed deposits of Rs 1.27 crore and Rs 38,750 cash in hand.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he disclosed total assets of Rs 1.65 crore.
The PM has a website and is on Facebook, microblogging site X, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp, according to the affidavit.
