The BJP and the Congress continued to snipe at each other over the efficacy of measures under the lockdown as the ruling party on Friday expressed shock that its opposition counterpart sees guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs as a joke and use pandemic as a “political opportunity”.
In his response to Congress criticism of MHA steps to transport stranded workers to their native places, BJP National spokesperson Sambit Patra said rather than giving any positive suggestion, the Opposition was always trying to find fault with the steps taken by the Union Government.
Patra said constant bickering and pessimism during these times are not the solutions.
Hitting back, the BJP leader said, “It’s astonishing and shocking that senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi sees the MHA guidelines on migrant labourers as a joke.”
Patra asked the Congress not to use the coronavirus pandemic as a “political opportunity” as he expressed shock at the opposition party criticising the Home Ministry guidelines on inter-state movement of stranded workers.
“The Congress should restrain itself from spreading canards, falsities and misinformation purely for political gain during a pandemic. The MHA guidelines lay down standard operating procedures (SOPs) for states to follow during migrants’ transfer. States are in talks with each other to effectively carry forward this mammoth task,” Patra said.
The BJP reacted after the Congress accused the Centre of “cruelly” and “mercilessly” abandoning the entire category of migrant labourers and termed “a cruel joke” the order on inter-state movement of workers.
“A few days ago Rahul Gandhi had stated that lockdown is of no help… Our simple suggestion to the Congress is not to use the pandemic as a political opportunity,” he said.
In his press conference, Singhvi said the “mismanagement” of migrant labour shows the approach the central government has adopted towards the poor of the country.
“The Centre has mercilessly, cruelly and without second thought abandoned the entire category of migrant labour,” he had said.
The BJP and the Congress have been locking horns following the announcement of lockdown on March 24 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and over the measures taken since by the Government.