Priyanka Gandhi slams PM for blaming Congress for COVID-19 spread
What's the story
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blaming her party for spreading COVID-19 during the first wave by helping migrants to reach their home states. Vadra asked if Modi wanted the poor to be left helpless when they were returning to their homes on foot. She also cornered Modi over his poll rallies during the second wave.
Context
Why does the story matter?
Modi made the comments in his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha on Monday. He said Congress gave free train tickets to migrant workers to leave Mumbai which lead to the spread of COVID in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The PM also blamed Congress for pushing laborers into crisis.
Details
'What about the big rallies PM did?' asks Gandhi
Speaking to media in Panaji, Goa, Gandhi said, "People whom he (Modi) had deserted, who had no way of returning to their homes, who were coming back on foot--did he want that nobody should help them? What did Modi ji want?" Taking a jibe at Modi's poll rallies during the second wave of COVID-19, she asked, "What about the big rallies he conducted?"
Do you know?
Did Modi address crowded rallies during second wave?
In April 2021, Modi at an assembly poll rally in West Bengal's Asansol had said, "I am elated to see a large crowd...I can see people as far as my sight goes." Notably, India was reporting over 2 lakh daily COVID-19 cases at that time.
Modi
What did Modi say?
"Congress crossed all limits during the first wave of COVID-19." "During the first wave, when the country was in lockdown and when the WHO was advising everyone to stay wherever they are, Congress went to the Mumbai railway station to scare innocent people." "They pushed laborers to go back to their states. As a result, COVID-19 spread rapidly in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand."
Quote
Entire country is shocked by Congress' behavior: Modi
Slamming Congress, Modi had said, "The entire country is shocked by the behavior of the Congress." "Now the Congress has made up its mind not to come to power for the next 100 years," he added.
Accusation
Modi also slammed AAP government for arranging buses for laborers
Targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, Modi said the Delhi government "went around slums in jeeps and announced on mics that whoever wants to go home, buses have been arranged." "Infections then shot up in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, where the coronavirus had not even spread that much," Modi alleged. "What kind of politics is this? How long will these politics continue?"
Kejriwal
Kejriwal refutes Modi's claim; asks him to be 'sensitive'
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also refuted the PM's allegations about his government. "This statement of Prime Minister is completely false," Kejriwal tweeted. "The country hopes that the Prime Minister will be sensitive to those who have suffered the pain of the Corona period...It does not suit the Prime Minister to do politics over the sufferings of the people," he added.