‘Lockdown was not the way to battle Covid-19’

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of enforcing a nationwide lockdown to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic without any proper planning.

Under the Speak Up India campaign, Baghel said the pathogen came from Arab and European countries. As only 500 active patients had come from abroad initially, the situation in the country today may have been different had they been quarantined or were put in isolation.

He also criticized the union government's decision to go for a lockdown, like foreign countries had done.

There is a difference in the geographical condition and social structure and it was not a good decision to enforce lockdown here in our country, he said.

“It was a complete failure and the lockdown was enforced without even considering the plight of migrant labourers," he said.

“No prior planning was there for stranded labourers and there was no plan as what would happen to the state after the migrant workforce leaves, he said.

The decision has hence put the entire country at the crossroads and the economic situation everywhere has now become vulnerable, he said.