Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday, 20 September, criticised the government over the handling of COVID-19 pandemic and the massive economic contraction in the wake of it.
“We have the worst of both worlds. We have neither managed to limit the spread of the virus nor have we managed to keep the economy afloat. GDP for the first time in 41 years will actually shrink,” Tharoor said while participating in a debate about the coronavirus crisis in the Lok Sabha, reported ANI.
Attacking the government, Tharoor said that the government has got an opportunity in the crisis to “hide its face”.
“I urge this government to become more transparent in its functioning, to gather and release data to experts where required, to consult with all stakeholders before acting and ultimately to take this nation into confidence – because it is losing confidence in you,” Tharoor stated.
‘Timely Action is Critical’
Tharoor also said that the government should have taken suggestions from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on how to handle the crisis.
“When this government failed to produce any tangible reaction or response to these developments, on 12 February, my colleague and member of this House Shri Rahul Gandhi tweeted and publicly warned the ruling dispensation. The coronavirus is an extremely serious threat to our people and our economy. My sense is the government is not taking this threat seriously. Timely action is critical,” Tharoor quoted Gandhi.
Hitting out at the government over the imposition of lockdown, the Congress MP said that “even though the people of this country were given three days notice before locking down for a mere 17-hour Janata Curfew on a Sunday when most individuals spend a lot of time at home anyway, a trial for a longer national lockdown that followed was horrific,” reported news agency ANI.
Explaining what happened in the last six months across the country, the MP said there were compelling indications as early as January.
"By 30 January, the World Health Organisation had declared the COVID-19 virus as a public health emergency, a declaration that incidentally came on that same day that India too, had its first documented case in the form of a student who had returned to Kerala from Wuhan," Tharoor said.
“It is a painful reflection of the grim times we live in and equally, a reminder of how important it is for us to take time and discuss this vital issue in this House,” IANS quoted him as saying.
(With inputs from IANS, ANI and PTI)
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