PM Narendra Modi applauds Akshay Kumar for Rs 25 cr donation

Akshay Kumar has vowed to contribute a whopping sum of Rs 25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s PM-Cares fund to help the government in its fight against coronavirus pandemic.

Acknowledging Kumar’s actions, PM Modi replied to him and wrote, “Great gesture @AkshayKumar. Let’s keep donating for a healthier India.”

Great gesture @akshaykumar.

Let’s keep donating for a healthier India. https://t.co/3KAqzgRFOW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2020

When we reached out to Kumar to know more about this significant contribution, he tells us, “You can call it my weakness or whatever, but I am never able to express my feelings or thoughts behind gestures of contributing to a cause.” 

On Saturday, PM Modi announced the creation of this fund that “accepts micro-donations too” to strengthen disaster management capacities and encourage research on protecting citizens. Soon after, Kumar tweeted to pledge his contribution and wrote, “...all that matters is the lives of our people”. 

Mention to the actor how he has set the bar high with this generous amount, Akshay says with utmost modesty, “Pehli baat toh yeh ki main kaun hota hoon ‘charity’ yah ‘donate’ karne waala? (who am I to donate or make any charity?)”. Doosri baat ki hum apni country ko Bharat Maa kehte hain. Mera yeh contribution actually mera nahi hai. Yeh meri maa ki taraf se Bharat Maa ko hai. (We address our country as Bharat Maa. So this contribution is not from me. It is from my mother to my motherland, Bharat Maa.)”

Great gesture @akshaykumar.

Let’s keep donating for a healthier India. https://t.co/3KAqzgRFOW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2020

The actor says he will always stand up for the safety of his motherland. “It’s important that I refer to my mother here because poori duniya mein ek fear hai that senior citizens will be ignored and left to themselves during this coronavirus crisis. Hum yeh soch bhi kaise sakte hain. Meri maa ki jaan important hai, aapke maa baap ki jaan important hai. (How can we even think like that. My mother’s life is important and so is the lives of your parents.) No matter who we are, trying to save every single life is critical right now. Maine sirf iski taraf apna ek chhotta sa farz ada kiya hai (I have only done my small bit towards this cause),” he says. 

Not just that, even his “proud” wife, Twinkle Khanna, lauded his gesture and tweeted in her signature witty style. “The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, ‘I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing’,” she wrote.

The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, ‘ I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing.’ https://t.co/R9hEin8KF1

— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) March 28, 2020