Even as her senior ministerial colleagues questioned the “logic” behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to switch off electric lights and light up candles on April 5 to express solidarity for the nation’s fight against Corona virus Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to get drawn into politics saying she was nobody to issue advisories on the Prime Minister’s appeal and said it was upon the people to consider as to what they would do on Sunday.
Apparently losing her cool when asked to comment on how she would react to Modi’s appeal to switch off power for nine minutes on Sunday, Banerjee retorted “Don’t politicise the issue. It is a grave situation. I will not make any statement on this… How can I say what you will do on what the Prime Minister says … It is upon the people to decide as to what they will do … whether they will follow his (PM’s) advice or not … If I will feel like sleeping I will sleep and if you feel like responding to his appeal you will do accordingly … I am nobody to make a comment here. Let us not play politics.”
Instead of dwelling on the Prime Minister’s speech the Chief Minister questioned the attitude of “some political parties (read BJP)” for “doing nothing but taking all the credits.” She alleged that “these people are saying that the Centre is providing ration to the people in this hour of crisis… In fact they have not even given a mask. It is the State Government which is bearing the huge costs of providing free ration to the people.”
Questioning the “logic” behind the Prime Minister’s appeal to switch off electric light one of the senior Ministers of Banerjee’s Cabinet Subroto Mukherjee said he would follow the Prime Minister’s advice if he were to be explained the reason behind doing what has been asked to do by Modi. “I will definitely follow his instructions but before that one has to explain the logic behind switching off electric light for nine minutes and lighting up candles,” he said.
Disapproving of the Prime Minister’s appeal Congress leader in Parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said “if switching off power and lighting up candles or torches can solve the problem there is no need to do researches to discover medicine against the Corona virus.”
Bengal Pradesh Congress president Somen Mitra said “we were expecting more important things from the Prime Minister. We were expecting a policy speech on the way out for the poor people, the migrant workers and farmers who are suffering economically in this hour of crisis. Will switching off power handle the crisis?”
Attacking the Prime Minister for “playing politics and seeking to extract political mileage in this hour of crises” former CPI(M) MP and State Left Legislature Party Leader Sujan Chakrabarty said “last time he make people beat thalis. This time he is telling them to light up candles and tail lamp… What additional purpose will it serve besides uniting the saffron people or identifying and get a feel of saffron following in the entire country.”
Meanwhile, Bengal’s total number of active corona related cases went up to 38 with 9 people getting cured and released on Friday.
“We have 4 new cases reported today which takes the total number of active Corona cases in the State to 38,” the Chief Minister said adding, “nine people have been cured and released today which is in addition to the 3 people cured earlier.” Three people have succumbed to the disease, she said.
Incidentally the Health Department experts had put the total number of Corona deaths to 7 on Thursday, leading State Chief Secretary to quickly call a second press conference and issue clarifications doubting whether four other deaths were because of the virus. Playing up the co-morbidity factor he said the victims had been hospitalised for other ailments and it was only subsequently that they were found to be Corona positive.