‘Congress-ruled states did it first’: BJP’s no holds barred attack after Rahul Gandhi says lockdown failed

Lockdown in India: Rahul Gandhi has said that the purpose of lockdown has failed in India as he referred to the spike in Coronavirus cases in the last few days.

Coronavirus India, Lockdown Extension: The Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark critical of the Centre’s lockdown decision. Addressing the media, senior leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that it was Congress–ruled states that announced the lockdown.

“Rahul Gandhi ji, you say lockdown is not the solution, then don’t you explain this to your chief ministers? Or don’t they listen to you, or they don’t give your opinions any weightage?” he asked.

The first state to announce a lockdown was Punjab followed by Rajasthan, he said.

“And now Maharashtra and Punjab were the first ones to extend the lockdown till 31st May, even before the meeting of chief ministers with the Prime Minister,” the BJP leader said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Rahul said at a press conference that the purpose of lockdown has failed in India as he referred to the spike in Coronavirus cases in the last few days. “It is pretty clear that the aim and purpose of lockdowns has failed in India,” the former Congress president said, adding that India is the only country in the world which is removing lockdown when the virus is exponentially rising.

Attacking directly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “Four stages of lockdown have not given the result that the Prime Minister expected.”

Prasad further accused Rahul of weakening the country’s fight against coronavirus. He said that Rahul Gandhi is spreading negativity and working against the nation in times of crisis. He also said that there is a difference between what Rahul says and what he does.

“He is spreading false facts and false news,” the BJP leader said angrily.

“Rahul Gandhi made false allegations that train ticket money is being taken for workers’ travelling Shramik Special trains. The government has repeatedly told that the fare is not being taken from the labourers, the railway ministry is paying 85% of the ticket fare and the state governments are paying 15%,” he said.

Prasad also said that Rahul Gandhi wrongly accused the ICMR that it has created a mess in the purchase. “For the first time ICMR had to explain that we have not made any purchase. We purchased items for the lowest prices. Rahul Gandhi has also started making false allegations against such organisations for political ambitions,” he said.