Cash not 'lathis' & rations not 'bhashans': Sibal attacks Centre in veiled Covid couplet

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday praised the people who feed the migrants and the poor amid the extended nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus. He 'saluted' the volunteers from Gurdwaras, Mandirs and NGOs with community support who are working to provide food to the people in need. The Congress leader then said that if the people are ready to support the government then even it should be ready to support the people.

Not by "bhashans" but by "rations"

In a veiled jibe towards the Centre, Sibal said that the government should not "lathi charge " people and indulge in "bhashans" (long speeches) and should instead provide them "ration" and "cash" for their survival. 

Adhir Ranjan writes to PM Modi

Earlier in the day, news agency ANI reported that Leader of Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help the migrant workers who are stranded in various States and Union Territories across the nation. Chowdhury said that he has been receiving distress calls from migrants of West Bengal, and specifically from his constituency, Baharampur, who are stuck in different areas.

"People are stranded without food, water, medicine and even air to breathe, informed that they are accommodated in large numbers inside rooms without ventilation where Mercury rose to 41 degrees Celsius. I would sincerely request you to think about some possible solutions to help our Indian citizens to return to their homes after this period safely," Chowdhury said in a letter to the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

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With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

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