‘Do your CMs not listen to you?’: Union minister to Rahul Gandhi on lockdown

Rahul Gandhi, at his press conference on Tuesday, pointed out that there has been one lockdown after another but the coronavirus cases have been on the rise.

If lockdown is no solution, why did your state governments imposed it in the first place, asked Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to Rahul Gandhi, a day after Congress leader said the idea had failed to achieve its objective.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said if the Congress leader has a new exit plan, “he should tell us”. The law minister added that he should first “tell his chief ministers”.

“Rahul Gandhi earlier said that lockdown isn’t a solution against Covid-19. On the contrary, Punjab and Rajasthan imposed lockdowns at the earliest. Maharashtra extended it till May 31. Do your CMs not listen to you?” asked Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi, at his press conference on Tuesday, pointed out that there has been one lockdown after another but the coronavirus cases have been on the rise. The country is in the fourth phase of lockdown, which will end on May 31.

The BJP leader said if the Congress leader has a new exit plan, “he should tell us”. The law minister added that he should first “tell his chief ministers”.

The minister highlighted that coronavirus has become a big problem in 15 nations of the world whose total population is 142 crore and has seen 3.43 lakh deaths till May 26. Contrasting the situation with India, the minister said it was the result of lockdown that India reported only 4,345 deaths.

“India has a population of 137 crores and 4,345 people have died in our country. More than 64 thousand recoveries have been made. By the way, death is unfortunate anywhere. Prime Minister has united the country through lockdown, it is the result of that,” said Prasad.

The minster accused Rahul Gandhi of “spreading negativity” and weakening the country’s resolve against coronavirus.

“I can tell you five ways by which Rahul Gandhi has tried to weaken the resolve of the country: Spreading negativity, working against the nation in times of crisis, taking false credit, saying something and doing something else, spreading false facts and false news,” said Prasad.

Gandhi, at this press conference, expressed concern that India is the only country which is relaxing the lockdown when the virus is “exponentially rising”.

He said that if the government functions haphazardly and takes ad-hoc measures during the non-lockdown period, the country will face a second wave of coronavirus which will be “extremely devastating”.

The Congress leader asked the prime minister to play aggressively on the front foot and tell the country on what he intends to do moving forward. He said the prime minister who initially played on the front foot has now gone on the back foot as he is not seen.

The BJP leader, however, stressed that the “PM is playing on the front foot and we can see the results”.