Mamata Banerjee violating COVID-19 lockdown norms: Dilip Ghosh
KOLKATA: The state BJP on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of violating lockdown norms by visiting different areas in the city to urge people to stay indoors while claiming that the state government was not properly tackling the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh alleged that while the chief minister was visiting areas in the metropolis, the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) members were not being allowed to visit hospitals to inspect medical facilities and other places for seeing whether the nationwide coronavirus- triggered lockdown was being strictly observed here.
Two central teams are in the state for an on-the-spot assessment of the COVID-19 situation.
"The chief minister is going to places in the city where the IMCT may go and asked people to remain indoors to ensure that the central team does not witness people on the streets during the lockdown period," Ghosh told newspersons here.
Banerjee on Wednesday continued her tour of the metropolis, visiting Khidderpore, Park Circus and Ballygunje areas in the city, for the second consecutive day and urging people to adhere to lockdown norms even if that meant facing certain difficulties.
The chief minister had undertaken a similar COVID-19 awareness campaign on Tuesday in Topsia, Rajabazar and Park Circus localities of the city.
The BJP leader claimed that the chief minister was apologising to people who were violating lockdown guidelines, instead of those who are abiding by the rules despite suffering hardships.
Claiming that Banerjee does not have faith in her own police force in enforcing the lockdown rules, he said, "The job which should have been done by a constable is being done by the chief minister herself."
The BJP state president alleged that Banerjee was the only chief minister in the country who has violated lockdown norms by going to different localities in the city.
"There is no chief minister in the country who has done so," he said, referring to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, who did not attend his father's funeral in order to maintain lockdown norms.
Ghosh claimed that COVID-19 has taken a serious turn in the state and that the picture will be clear in another week.
"The situation may get out of hand if appropriate measures are not taken immediately," he said.
He accused the state government of mismanagement in controlling the pandemic and also in providing necessary relief to the people.
Alleging that the Trinamool Congress government in the state was indulging in politics over the pandemic, he said, "We condemn this attitude during this crisis".
Ghosh also accused the state Food and Civil Supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick of failing to provide ration to people.
Reacting to a clash between the police and a section of villagers at Baduria in North 24 Parganas district following a road blockade on Wednesday over alleged demand for relief, Ghosh accused Mullick of "incompetence" in providing relief to people in his own district.
Mullick is also the Trinamool Congress's district president.
"He sees the ghost of BJP day and night and blames it for everything," Ghosh said.
Mallick had claimed that the BJP had instigated villagers to resort to road block and attack policemen.