Gautam Gambhir pledges to donate 2 year's salary to PM-CARES Fund

New Delhi, April 2:  Former India cricketer and BJP lawmaker Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday pledged to donate his two years salary towards Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) set up for fight against coronavirus pandemic.

"People ask what can their country do for them. The real question is what can you do for your country? I am donating my two year's salary to PM-CARES Fund. You should come forward too!" Gambhir said in a tweet asking other people to make contributions too.

He has already released Rs one crore out of his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Fund towards the relief efforts amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Before that, the BJP MP had said that his foundation, Gautam Gambhir Foundation, was distributing food packets to poor people in his constituency in New Delhi. East Delhi has a large number of daily wage labourers and many were not able to make arrangements for their food due to the 21-day lockdown.

The statement had also said that during the lockdown, 2,000 packets of food were being prepared and distributed by the foundation, and that efforts were being made so that no one should have to worry about food at this time.

Close to 2,000 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported so far in the country and 50 lives have been lost.