Published 17:59 IST, May 26th 2020
Rahul Gandhi calls lockdown a 'failure', asks Govt for its 'plan B' to tackle the pandemic
After evading responsibility of the COVID crisis in Maharashtra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked Centre what their 'plan B' was to tackle the pandemic
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After holding a video-conference, evading responsibility of the growing COVID crisis in Maharashtra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has issued a statement asking Centre what their 'plan B' is to tackle the pandemic in the country. The Congress MP from Wayanad claimed that the lockdown imposed by the Centre 60 days ago 'has not been able to defeat the virus' and that PM Modi and his advisors had 'underestimated' the scale of the pandemic, asking the Centre what their 'plan B' was now that the lockdown had failed.
"I want to ask the government with utmost humility and in a completely non-partisan manner, what is the Government's plan to tackle this growing crisis? It is now clear that 4 stages of lockdown haven't delivered results that were anticipated. What is the government's plan B?", read the letter adding that there were 'many critical questions that the government was not providing answers to.'
Rahul Gandhi also criticized the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus fund announced by the PM alleging that according to economists around the world, the stimulus fund did not amount to 10 per cent, but 1 per cent of the GDP. He added that Congress-ruled states were doing their best to control the pandemic, however, they needed financial support from the centre as well to tide over tough times.
'India facing results of a failed lockdown'
Earlier in the day, amid reports of strained relations between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi shifted the onus of the growing COVID crisis on his alliance partners and said that Congress is just a 'supporting' party and not the 'decision-maker.' In what is seen as an admission of cracks within the Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Rahul Gandhi went on to say that there is a 'difference' between running a government and supporting it.
Rahul Gandhi in his video-conference also stated that the lockdown imposed by the Central government has failed and the country is facing the result of a "failed lockdown". "India is the only country where the virus is exponentially rising and we are removing the lockdown. The aim and purpose of the lockdown has failed. India is facing the result of a failed lockdown," said Rahul Gandhi.
17:33 IST, May 26th 2020