BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for questioning relaxations

NEW DELHI: Combative over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s repeated attack on government over handling of the Corona crisis, the BJP on Tuesday made a concerted bid to prove as how the opposition leader has been “hypocritical” and filled with negativity at a time when country had to fight the pandemic unitedly.
While union minister Prakash Javadekar issued a statement rejecting Gandhi’s claim that the lockdown had "failed" in its purpose, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis questioned the Congress leader over his statement that “Congress is just supporting the government in Maharashtra and not a decision maker” even as party has eight ministers in Uddhav Thackeray led MVA government.
Besides, party leaders clubbed and shared on social media two videos of Gandhi one dated May 8 and the other one dated Tuesday in which he made critical remarks about lockdown relaxations.
“I am not an expert but corona crisis might peak later in our country … may be June, July or September. Whenever it happens, we have to think about transition. Government should decide about how it will be done and implement it,” Gandhi had said on May 8, but on Tuesday questioned the government for relaxations.
Reacting scathingly, Javadekar said, “When we imposed the lockdown, Congress made a hue and cry about it and now that we are relaxing it, they are criticising it yet again. This highlights double-speak and hypocrisy of the Congress.”
Javadekar said the doubling rate of Corona Virus infections has fallen to 13 days from three before the lockdown, which, he asserted, is a “success” of India and its people.
“Modi government's decision to impose the lockdown has ensured that India suffered much less than countries like the US, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil and many others,” Javadekar added.
BJP leader said it is ironic that India's efforts to combat coronavirus have drawn praise from the world over but attracted opposition from the Congress.
“Rahul Gandhi's press conference today is an example of the politics the Congress is doing. What he said is wrong as well. The COVID-19 doubling rate was three days before the lockdown and it is 13 now. This is India's success," Javadekar said.
He said over 45 lakh migrant labourers have been ferried back home in over 3000 trains, which is historic.
On Gandhi's demand that the Centre give cash to the poor, he said BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have given cash to migrants and asked which Congress-run state has done so.
Citing various welfare provisions of the Centre, including five-month free ration for over 80 crore poor, transfer of Rs 2000 to nine crore farmers and Rs 500 to 20 crore women, and free gas cylinders to eight crore households, Javasekar said these measures in real term are more than Rs 7,500 demanded by Gandhi and other opposition leaders for the poor.
In Mumbai, Fadnavis said Gandhi’s remarks on his party’s role in the Maharashtra government are aimed at pinning the blame for failure in handling the Covid-19 situation on the Shiv Sena and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“The Congress actually wanted to run away from the shared responsibility for the government's failure. Rahul Gandhi wanted to blame only Shiv Sena and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray,” Fadnavis said.