The BJP on Thursday reacted sharply to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s statement that the all-India lockdown by the Centre to arrest the spread of COVID-19 was ill planned.
A slew of leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J.P. Nadda termed it as “petty politics” at a time when the crisis at hand called for a unified response. Ms. Gandhi’s statement made at a video meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) termed the lockdown as necessary but ill planned causing misery to millions of unorganised sector workers.
“Under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s efforts to fight the coronavirus are being lauded domestically and globally. 130 crore Indians are united to defeat COVID-19. Yet the Congress is playing petty politics. High time they think of national interest and stop misleading people,” Mr. Shah retorted.
He said it has been an “old habit” of the Congress that it has always walked a different path in the matters of national interest, and that it has sought to divide the country for its “selfish interests”.
“When will the Congress put national interest above its selfish politics,” Mr. Shah asked.
Mr. Nadda pointed out that while the Centre was taking along all Chief Ministers, Ms. Gandhi’s comments were “insensitive and indecent”.
“I want to ask Sonia Gandhiji, if her statement was meant for Punjab and Rajasthan governments, who had imposed lockdown prior to the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Modi? Did these State governments impose lockdown without preparation?” he demanded to know. Punjab and Rajasthan are both Congress ruled.
