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Reacting to state Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant’s tirade against Modi, the BJP said it was out of frustration.
Modi on Monday lashed out at Congress in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the party scared migrant labourers into fleeing to their states during the first lockdown after the coronavirus pandemic began. He also targeted the party over issues such as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Emergency.
“For the past three days, the country is witnessing artifices and attempts of the most incompetent PM to blame others for his failures,” Congress leader Sawant said in a statement here.
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Modi claimed that the Centre had to declare lockdown as the states had done so, but an RTI query has revealed that the prime minister had announced the imposition of restrictions without consulting any ministry, Sawant alleged.
“Why did he assure people of defeating coronavirus in 21 days? Why did he extend the lockdown? Why did he ask people to clap their hands, clank utensils and ring bells?” he asked.
As many as 1,027 trains carried 15 lakh migrants to their home states from BJP-ruled Gujarat during the pandemic against 844 trains which took 12 lakh people home from Maharashtra, Sawant said.
“Coronavirus should have spread more from Gujarat than Maharashtra. Why is only Maharashtra Congress targeted? Why were migrants not stopped in Gujarat?” he asked.
Sawant also claimed that around 25,000 people committed suicide in the last three years due to unemployment and increasing debt.
Countering him, state BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye questioned the Congress leaders’ ”understanding” of national issues.
“Basically, it is a question of what understanding Congress leaders, from Rahul Gandhi to party workers, have on national issues. The problem percolates from their leadership down to lower-rung workers. So they are making these comments out of frustration,” he said.