Police foiled the bid of TS BJP leaders plan to reach Pragathi Bhavan to meet Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to seek explanation about the prevailing COVID-19 conditions in twin cities and across the State by placing them under ‘house arrest’ on Friday morning itself.
Former president K. Laxman, city president and MLC N. Ramchander Rao, MLA T. Raja Singh and others had earlier sought an appointment with the Chief Minister but as there was no response decided to march from Punjagutta crossroads towards the CM’s office-cum-official residence accusing the government of ‘dictatorial’ attitude and questioned its virus control and treatment strategy with even frontline healthworkers coming onto the roads in protest.
Party president Bandi Sanjay and other leaders, including general secretary G. Premanander Reddy, P. Sudhakar Reddy, official spokespersons Krishna Saagar Rao, N.V. Subash and others, strongly condemned the house arrest and claimed that their only agenda is to highlight the need to save people’s lives with effective public health management.
“In a democracy, it is natural that Opposition party leaders will meet the Chief Minister to explain about the problems of the common people and seek solutions but KCR is refusing to give any appointment. It goes against the democratic principles of the country and even the Constitution,” said Mr. Sanjay.
Talking to the media at his residence, Mr. Laxman demanded an explanation from the government on why so many frontline workers including doctors, police and others are testing positive and why the government is reluctant to allow private labs to test even after getting permission from Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). He accused the TRS government of disregarding the ICMR guidelines totally and putting the people’s lives in danger.
The party declared its total support to the agitating junior doctors of the Gandhi Hospital and to their demands to improve the conditions there and also decentralise the healthcare operations. They said it was ridiculous that those who tested positive are being transported from hundreds of kilometres to centralised COVID-19 healthcare facility of Gandhi when the infrastructure — physical and manpower — is under severe strain with not enough room for taking in more patients, inadequate ICU beds, ventilators, etc.
Mr. Ramchander Rao in an open letter to KCR sought an all party meeting on the issue, recruit more staff in health and sanitation wings, increase testing on par with other States, take up household surveys, permit but regulate private hospitals.
