A day after the Central government announced a ₹20-lakh-crore stimulus package, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has showered praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.
Mr. Modi announced lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country and the same was being implemented, Mr. Naidu said at the TDP Politburo meeting on Wednesday.
In an apparent bid to build the bridge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Naidu praised the Prime Minister for the second time in a short span of little over a month. In March, he wrote a letter to Mr. Modi lauding him for announcing a relief package to the frontline warriors in the wake of COVID-19. Mr. Modi also telephoned Mr. Naidu when the latter sought an appointment.
The TDP supremo, at the politburo meeting, however, found fault with some State governments in implementation of the lockdown guidelines.
Listing out how restrictions were being progressively eased from lockdown 1.0 to the coming lockdown 4.0, Mr. Naidu said some States committed mistakes in the implementation of the rules. Initially, the States could not take up quarantine measures to control the virus. The States failed to respond properly though zones were created. Opening of liquor shops was a blunder. It aggravated the crisis.
‘Worrisome’
It was worrisome that some estimates point out that the coronavirus positive cases would go up in June- July, Mr. Naidu said, adding, “It is necessary to prepare people mentally for the challenges thrown by coronavirus. The people will bear the brunt for the failure of a leader.”
Enforcing lockdown strictly, it was possible for the government to effectively check the virus spread in the country. The world has turned upside down both economies and people's lives so much so that unemployment has increased manifold, farmers suffered losses, industries have fallen sick and livelihoods disrupted, he added.