I am not Trump, can’t see my people suffering: Maharashtra CM on Covid-19 pandemic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that he is no United States of America’s President Donald Trump, who can tolerate the people’s suffering.

Thackeray made this statement in a promotional video of an interview that he had recorded earlier this week for Saamana, the mouthpiece of the ruling Shiv Sena, which he heads.

In the interview conducted by Sanjay Raut, executive editor of Saamana and a Sena member of the Rajya Sabha, Thackeray categorically stated that his decisions would be based on the betterment of the people without any fear or favour.

“I am not [Donald] Trump; I cannot see my people suffer before my eyes,” Thackeray said in a short clip released by Raut as a teaser campaign for the upcoming two-part interview.

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The interview will be published in the Marathi daily on July 25 and July 26 ahead of the CM’s 60th birthday on July 27.

Thackeray said that the past six months have brought a “lot of challenges”, including the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak that appears to be “unending”.

He took on the criticism about not frequently visiting Mantralaya – the administrative seat of the Maharashtra government – in his stride.

He explained that he wanted to set an example of self-discipline for the public amid the viral outbreak, where maintaining the social distancing norms is the need of the hour.

The CM also shared his thought on whether students should appear for their final-year college examinations amid the pandemic.

He is of the firm believer that the college examinations must be held, as “nobody should be under the illusion that students won’t get [infected with] Covid-19 otherwise”.