Breaking silence on the allegations of huge government money being spent on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s foreign visits, the prime minister’s office (PMO) has clarified that the reports quoting an expense of Rs 1880 crore were untrue and misleading.
The issue has been turned into a political issue by the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming assembly eclections.
Though the UPA chairperson during her visit to the state avoided responding to the allegations, PMO said today the Central Information Commissioner had already denied these reports and made a statement.
“The Prime Minister's Office would like to put on record that the Government has incurred no expenses on UPA Chairperson's visits abroad. Expenses for her security contingent are borne by the Special Protection Group,” a release issued from PMO said.
It further stressed that during the last 8 years, only one trip to Belgium undertaken at the invitation of the Belgian Government to receive a national honour was paid for by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations -- the total cost was less than Rs 3 lakhs.
The government has also clarified that it had not borne any expenses for UPA Chairperson's medical treatment abroad and in India.
