Kiren Rijiju donates one-month salary for fight against COVID-19 pandemic

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday donated his one month salary over and above Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directive to all BJP MPs to contribute Rs one crore from MPLAD funds in the country's fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

"PM Narendra Modi ji announced #PMCares Fund to strengthen disaster management capacities and to encourage research on protecting citizens. It accepts micro-donations too. Let us contribute to make India healthier and more prosperous for our future generations. I've donated my one month salary," Rijiju wrote on his Facebook page.

"Also keeping in touch with District Administration and authorized my nodal DC to use my MPLAD funds to purchase emergency medical kits to fight #COVID-19."

The country is under a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus that has claimed more than 30,000 lives globally. In India, 19 people have succumbed to the disease.