Kamal Nath. (File photo)
Three weeks after resigning as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Kamal Nath on Sunday alleged that the announcement of the nationwide lockdown was delayed only to topple the 15-month-old government headed by him.
Speaking to the media, he said it was obvious from the chronology of events leading to the fall of his government that Parliament was made to run to drive home the point that if Lok Sabha can function, so can Assemblies.
Nath resigned as Chief Minister on March 20 ahead of a Supreme Court-mandated floor test. Citing the COVID-19 outbreak, Speaker N P Prajapati had on March 16 adjourned the Assembly session till March 26 instead of holding a floor test.
Nath said that as Chief Minister, he tried his best to tackle the COVID-19 situation. He said the Centre responded late because it was busy plotting the fall of his government. “Shivraj Singh Chouhan formed the government late on March 23 and the lockdown began on March 24,’’ he said. Targeting the one-man government of Chouhan, he said, “Nowhere in the world is a government functioning without the health or home minister.’’
Speaking on coronavirus cases in the state, he said the number could be much more than the official figures because the government had not carried out testing in rural areas. “Doctors in rural areas may pass off the infection as flu,’’ he said.
Referring to large-scale infection among state health officials, he blamed it on the “business as usual” attitude’’. Nath also said the Centre must come up with a “focused” economic package and said a package is as good as its implementation.