Tejashwi Yadav slams Bihar govt over Covid-19 spike, floods

Tejashwi Yadav described the death of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) member of Bihar legislative council (MLC) Sunil Kumar Singh due to Covid-19 on Tuesday evening as a tragic incident.

Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the leader of opposition in Bihar legislative assembly, has accused the Nitish Kumar-led government of its miserable failure to tackle the twin challenges – the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak and the annual flood fury – and reiterated that the prevailing situation isn’t conducive to hold assembly polls slated to be held in October-November.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said Bihar’s flood situation has turned from bad to worse, as thousands have been displaced in north Bihar, exposing the government’s failure to provide any help to the distressed. (HT Photo)

He described the death of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) member of Bihar legislative council (MLC) Sunil Kumar Singh due to Covid-19 on Tuesday evening as a tragic incident.

He also called out the state government’s inaction and drew its attention to the “scary” prospect amid the spiralling Covid-19 positive cases in Bihar.

“Bihar is facing a double whammy such as Covid-19 and flood fury. MLCs , doctors, and other high-profile people are dying of the pandemic. BJP’s MLC Sunil Singh had died of Covid-19. Yet, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is only worried about elections. He has no concern for either Covid-19 patients or the flood victims,” Yadav alleged.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said Bihar’s flood situation has turned from bad to worse, as thousands have been displaced in north Bihar, exposing the government’s failure to provide any help to the distressed.

“ Our CM Kumar is invisible. The flood-fighting strategy has failed and people are getting marooned, as even the smallest of bridges are being washed away. The RJD, as a responsible main opposition, had cautioned the government to take effective steps to check floods. Now, our fears are coming true,” he further alleged.

He also hauled up the state government for meting out a raw deal to those who are trying to portray the true picture of the mismanagement regarding tackling Covid-19 in Bihar.

“Perhaps, the former superintendent of Patna Medical College & Hospital (Dr. Nirmal Kumar Sinha) has paid a price for speaking up against the poor infrastructure at the healthcare facility during the central delegation’s visit on Monday. This is unfortunate,” Yadav said.

On Tuesday, the state government shunted out Dr Sinha and replaced him with Dr. Binod Kumar Singh as the new PMCH superintendent.

“My prophecies are coming true. Assembly polls cannot be held over corpses,” the RJD leader said.

He also highlighted how goons had attacked one of his party’s leaders at a Covid-19 isolation centre at Darbhanga Medical College & Hospital (DMCH) and condemned the state administration for turning a blind eye to criminal activities.

“There is no security at medical colleges in Bihar. The state government is in disarray,” he further alleged.

The ruling Janata Dal (United), however, is yet to react to Yadav’s allegations and his persistent insistence to postpone the upcoming assembly polls.

On Wednesday, Yadav visited Darbhanga and Madhubani districts to assess the flood situation and met flood victims at different panchayats during his trip.

He warned that Bihar would emerge as a Covid-19 hotspot soon unless the state government intervenes to arrest the spread of the viral outbreak.