Netizens are mocking India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for posting a picture of a ventilator in response to the opposition and the general public's demand to show transparency on the usage of the PMCARES Fund, which was launched to support India's fight against COVID-19.
#PMCARES pic.twitter.com/9kFtDosuOA
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) June 15, 2020
The netizens ridiculed the picture of the ventilator shared by party spokesperson Sambit Patra and argued that all that the party had to show from the PMCARES Fund was a picture of a ventilator.
Just one ventilator with entire #PMCARES funds?
— Lavanya Ballal | ಲಾವಣ್ಯ ಬಲ್ಲಾಳ್ (@LavanyaBallal) June 15, 2020
More than 650 migrants died walking, not to forget lack inadequate medical help for corona patients. https://t.co/8TrEGnrxdJ
Modiji digested entire #PMCARES Fund rupees and as a burp blessed us with a ventilator....
— Aliya Khan (@AliyaKh34940852) June 15, 2020
People who donated to #PMCARES Fund be like ye mene kha paise fasa diye pic.twitter.com/h3WIlcWLQn
Now Moon is under Indian Territory with help of #PMCARES pic.twitter.com/zXXYva9x1j
— Dr. Manmohan Singh_ (@Chacha_huu) June 15, 2020
Some netizens even questioned the authenticity of the ventilator. A twitter user opined, "To be honest, they didn't even buy this Ventilator, all they bought was just one sticker."
#PMCaresFund Remind Me of My
— 🎀BₑᵢₙgWₐzzz🎀 💯%fb (@beingwazzz) June 15, 2020
Childhood Piggy Bank
I would Save Money Given By My
Parents
And if they Ask me from it
I would Simply deny it
Saying it's mine 😂#PMCARES pic.twitter.com/Q2hc3nCyn9
However, some of the netizens lauded the government's initiative and the sharing of the picture. The BJP's digital media head Amit Malviya also shared the picture.
According to this study, in last 70 years, India got a total of 47 thousand ventilators in public and private hospitals. With #PMCARES, in one stroke, India will get 50 thousand more ventilators!
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 15, 2020
Did some one want an audit? Go, learn to count till 50,000 to start with... pic.twitter.com/pSxZOUFoO3
Prime Minister @narendramodi not only commits but He also delivers. #PMCARES pic.twitter.com/cKbUudvFKF
— Anand Aman🇮🇳🇮🇳..🇮 (@anandaman16) June 15, 2020
PM @narendramodi actually cares#PMCARES pic.twitter.com/I09YR0No9j
— Rajeev Ranjan🇮🇳 (@RanjanRajeev0) June 15, 2020
The government has refused to disclose information on the fund in response to a Right to Information request for transparency. The government argues that the fund falls outside the ambit of “public authority” and therefore the information cannot be disclosed.
A fresh plea has since been filed in the Delhi high court challenging the government's response. The opposition has also asked the government to provide more information on the fund, which received large donations from business tycoons - $65 million from India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, and generous donations from celebrities and the general public.
The row over the fund intesified when the Indian government hired private Delhi-based chartered accountancy firm SARC & Associates to audit the fund.
