Not one to mince words, Hema Malini has reacted to reports of Rekha ‘offering funds’ to her constituency (Mathura) to renovate two girls’ schools. Clearing the air around the perceived act of benevolence, Hema said that reports about Rekha offering funds to her constituency may have misled people to believe that the funds were her own, which they were not. She said, “It’s true that I got Rekha to give a huge sum of money, Rs 47 lakh, for the renovation of two girls’ schools in Mathura, but it’s not her own money. This is money from the MPs’ fund ('5 crores per annum allotted to all MPs) for public welfare. Since I had used up all my funds for Mathura, and Rekha was not using her funds, I decided to ask her for some money. The girls’ schools are in a very bad condition, and no child can be expected to seek education in a place so shoddy. It’s a shame that we are not able to provide decent educational facilities for underprivileged children.”
She goes on to say how getting the fund wasn’t exactly a cakewalk either. “Though she is my friend, I couldn’t call her directly. I had to convince her secretary about the urgency of the situation. Rekha then gave Rs 35 lakh for Raman Girls’ Degree College, and another Rs 12 lakh for Kasturba Gandhi Girls Residential School in Mathura.” Hema also added that she sought help from Sachin Tendulkar who hasn’t responded so far.
