Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that the nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) is not like an on-off switch, saying that if the government wants to end the lockdown, it must bring physiological change in the minds of the people and transperancy in exit plan.
In a video conference with mediapersons, Rahul Gandhi, who is also an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, said, “We have been having internal discussions on the suggestions to we would be giving the government.”
He said the country is beginning to run into a little bit of problem. “There is a strong feeling that we need to immediately release packages to the MSMEs, give money in the hands of the poor and have a strategy for the migrants besides preparing for the opening of the lockdown,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also urged the Central government to provide little bit of “transparency” about its actions.
“We need to understand that when they lift the lockdown, what would be the criteria for it, what are the boxes they want to tick before actually initiating the process. It is important that government tells the people about these criteria,” the Congress leader said.
“We simply cannot continue without providing support to the people who are suffering due to the lockdown,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“We simply cannot continue without providing support to the people who are suffering due to the lockdown,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress leader further said that the lockdown is not only switching on a key, it requires a number of things to happen, it needs a psychological change.
According to Rahul Gandhi, the Covid-19 disease is currently very dangerous for the elderly, and people with ailments like diabetis, cardiac problem and lung disease.
“We need to bring a psychological change in the minds of the people. If the government wants to open up, it has to turn this fear into a sense of confidence. Otherwise people will start going out the moment the lockdown is lifted,” he said.
“We need a stratgy to open up the lockdown. A massive transition is required... it requires coordination between the states, the Central government, district magistrates and many others. That is the challenge the government faces,” he said.
This was the second interaction of the Congress leader with the media in the last one month amid the nationwide lockdown.