Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the Government must explore ways of gradually lifting the nationwide lockdown because it can only “pause” the spread of novel coronavirus, not end it.
“Lockdown is not a solution, neither a treatment. Therefore, we must find a strategy to come out from the lockdown phase. The PM’s role should be to empower the States. The only way to do this is to increase testing and chasing the virus, and going beyond, and this is my advice to the Government — use testing,” Rahul said while addressing a Press conference online.
Also, he said this is not the time to fight even if he differs with the Prime Minister. “Instead it was time to understand and fight the crisis together.”
“When you lock people up, the disease gets locked up and when you open the door, the disease comes rushing out,” Rahul said.
Addressing the media days after the Prime Minister extended the lockdown after arriving at a consensus with the Chief Ministers, Rahul said.
He also warned of major economic crisis post-Covid-19 and urged the need for widening the social security net especially by providing free food for the needy, including the stranded migrant workers. "Our godowns are full. The Government must provide food to all the poor," he said.
He found fault with the Government's approach in conducting tests. "Currently testing levels are too low. I am proposing scaling up testing. One advice to the Government is, push testing aggressively. Maximise testing and use testing strategically, to assist States in their fight," Rahul said.
To a question on how the Congress leaders of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and many senior Congress leaders and Congress CMs had supported the broad direction of the Government handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, Rahul said, "I don't want go to go in the past. We must fight together and not get into the blame game. Instead let's use our resources carefully and give the money to states and districts."
He predicted a "massive financial backlash", stating that the first wave of unemployment was already on its way."We must ensure that in protecting lives, we don't destroy our economy completely."
He said the PM should have a more detailed conversation with States. "But the Prime Minister has a different style of working and we can work around that style," he said.
He further advised the Government on the Congress devised NYAY scheme through which give money directly to 20 per cent of the poor because they are facing difficulties. 'Use some other name (If you so like), instead of NYAY," he tweeted.
People are becoming unemployed and it is going to get worse. Prepare packages for SMEs who can employ people as well as packages for big companies.
"It is important to focus on the strategy after lockdown. What will be the strategy for testing? How will you prepare PHC and hospital? Because, the cases will increase after lockdown. Action should not be delayed. I am sad that the food grains in the warehouse did not reach the people. SMEs should know what is being done for them," Rahul said in a tweet during the day.
He also advised the Government to create two basic zones in India- a hotspot zone and a non-hotspot zone. "Use testing to identify hotspots, so you can monitor the minute a zone becomes a hotspot and you can clamp down," he said.
To a different query through the video conference about his letter to PM where he talked of an India specific policy and partial lifting, Rahul there should be a strategic opening.
"So, you open particular key areas, you use testing to identify and this is where the point of ramping up testing is important. You use testing to identify dynamically which are the hotspots, and you clamp down on those hotspots, but, you create two basic zones in India- a hotspot zone and a non-hotspot zone and you use testing to identify the places, which are becoming hotspot. So, you make sure that if any zone is moving from a non-hotspot zone in terms of the disease, you immediately clamp down. So, that would be how, you would think about it. Because realise that at one level, when you lock people up, the disease gets locked up," he said.