NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Raghav Chadha on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the COVID-19 situation in the country and asked him to "leave election management and start corona management".
At a press conference, he took a jibe at the prime minister and said the fast pase in which coronavirus cases are increasing in the country, the BJP's poll rallies too are increasing at the same rate. "Looking at the deteriorating corona situation in the country, I want PM Modi to leave election management and start corona management," the AAP MLA said adding, "Elections will come and go, please save human lives first."
India is battling a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. Health ministry data on Sunday showed a record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections which has taken the country''s tally to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark.
The data updated at 8 am showed that the death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities. The senior AAP leader and MLA from Rajinder Nagar Constituency of Delhi stated that the BJP is preaching the slogan-'Na Doori Na Davai, Bas Vote Ke Liye Dhilai hi Dhilai'.
Chadha said PM Narendra Modi used to preach 'desh nahi jhukne denge'. "While today, our slogan should be - 'hum desh vasiyon ko nahi marrne denge," he said. "Elections will be won and lost, political parties will come and go, but the lives of people will not," he said, adding that the BJP is putting more focus on election management, and less on COVID management.
Chadha said people of India are concerned about how the Centre is managing COVID-19 and dealing with the surge in cases, but the BJP is more concerned about their electioneering and how they can garner votes in large numbers.
He said that the pace at which people are contracting the virus is directly proportional to the speed at which these rallies by the BJP are increasing.
Highlighting the worrisome COVID situation, Chadha alleged that while India has breached the 2 lakh mark in COVID cases, the BJP is focussing on conducting gigantic rallies with huge crowds in West Bengal.
"Winning elections and collecting votes is their sole motive, and the BJP has nothing to do with the people of India and their lives. In West Bengal, the BJP is promising a 'double-engine sarkaar', while not giving even a 'single engine' to COVID management," he said.