Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav  Thackeray has asked the Centre to declare the COVID-19 pandemic as a “national calamity”, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Thursday.

Talking to reporters here,Raut also said the “Maharashtra model” of COVID-19 management should be implemented in other parts of the country.      He, however, did not elaborate on the model.   

Raut said Thackeray, during meetings of chief ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and through letters to the Centre, had asked to declare the COVID-19 crisis as a “national calamity”.             

“Thackeray has been saying this for a month now and it is good that even the Supreme Court has taken note of it,” the Rajya Sabha member said. The SC on Tuesday termed the massive resurgence of COVID-19 cases a “national crisis” and said it cannot remain a mute spectator at such a time.”The Supreme Court and high courts are concerned and taking up the matter. It is good and this would be beneficial for the country,” Raut said. 

He said despite all efforts to “malign”Maharashtra, the state government was working hard to tackle the pandemic.The rest of the country should adopt the “Maharashtra model” of COVID-19 management, the Shiv Sena leader said.         “Everyone needs to take note of the efforts made by the state government under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and implement the Maharashtra model elsewhere in the country,” he added.

On Wednesday, Maharashtra reported 63,309 new cases of coronavirus, taking the state’s overall tally to 44,73,394, while 985 deaths pushed the toll to 67,214, as per the state health department.