KOLKATA: Amid COVID-19 pandemic across the country, a Twitter tussle broke out between the Bengal’s ruling party and oppositions over the Centre’s decision of sending two teams to the state to make spot assessment of the situation. The move came in the wake of alleged violation of lockdown norms in red-zone or hotspot pockets.
While Rajya Sabha MP of Trinamool Congress, Derek O’Brien, accused the Centre of ‘going all out fighting against the states’, BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh described the ruling party’s objection as a reflection of fear of being ‘caught red-handed.’ West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar, too has the state government to cooperate with the central team.
“States, incl Bengal, going all out-fighting Corona. Unfortunately, central govt is going all out-fighting the States! Is this the spirit of federalism? Is this what our Constitution says? Let’s make handling health emergency our priority. Politics can wait till winter,’’ tweeted O-Brien.
The heat in Bengal politics returned at the backdrop of the central teams’ Bengal visit after a pause since the nation-wide lockdown was announced.