Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has advised the Trinamool Congress Government not to politicise the battle against corona. Referring to the Union Home Ministry’s letter to the State Government warning it against slack enforcement of lockdown in selected areas the Governor on Sunday said that none should use the grim situation to play politics.
“The Home Ministry had earlier written a letter where it raised the issue of how the lockdown is being diluted in certain areas … where no social distancing is being maintained and where religious congregations are being allowed to take place. This can aggravate the situation,” the Governor said adding this was no time to politicise things.
Apparently referring to the administration’s green signal to only the Trinamool Congress’ workers to distribute relief disallowing members of other parties from joining the relief work the Governor said, “this is not a time to do politics particularly when the situation is so grim … the relief materials should be distributed by the Government agencies and not political workers… This will only lead to politicization of the matter and the real purpose will be defeated.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had made a snappish remark on Saturday while referring to the Home Ministry’s letter when she said that “you all know by mentioning the areas where the lockdown is allegedly not being implemented properly Delhi wants to pinpoint a particular group of population … But I want to tell them that we are fighting against a deadly virus and not a communal virus. I will not allow any communal politics here.”
The letter from Delhi had alleged that “people have been thronging in complete violation of social distancing norms...” mentioning specific areas like Maniktala, Narkel Danga, Rajabazaar, Topsia, Metiaburz, Gardenreach, Ekbalpur Ulta Danga. Incidentally all of these areas are dominated by the people of minority community.
Apart from Dhankhar the Left Front also attacked the State Government for not following the ICMR norms insofar as conducting maximum tests are concerned. State CPI(M) secretary and party politburo member Suryakanto Mishra on Sunday said that “not only that adequate number of tests are not being done but also in many cases the deaths are being ascribed to co-morbidity reasons which is highly fallacious.”
Himself a doctor and a former Health Minister of the State, Mishra said that “any casualty irrespective of co-morbidity reasons should be listed as corona death if the victim had contracted the disease otherwise the seriousness of the situation will be lost on the people.” Apart from conducting tests the Government should also come out with their data which will help the researchers to handle the crisis in better manner, he maintained.
Meanwhile, the Bengal Government is planning to make wearing masks mandatory in the State. According to sources, the Government will soon come out with orders making masks mandatory for the people who comeout in the streets.
“If anyone is found without mask he or she will either be sent back home or legal actions will be taken on that person,” a senior official said adding however that the general public who have no contact history will not be required to wear any N-95 or surgical mask. “In such cases only ordinary or home-made masks will do” he said.