Giving Rs 7,500 to the poor in Covid-19 crisis is critical: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi called upon the prime minister to devolve power and take the states and district magistrates into confidence

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the government must be transparent about its actions in fighting Covid-19 by cooperating with states and making them partners in decision-making. He also suggested that the government needs to inject Rs 7500 in the bank accounts of the poor Indians, to address the migrant crisis.

Don't keep coronavirus fight to PMO only, inject Rs 7500 in bank accounts of the poor: Rahul

Addressing a press conference through video conference, he said, "the lockdown is not an on/off switch and it is a transition which requires the cooperation of all - Centre, states, district magistrates and the people of India."

To address the ongoing migrant crisis, "the government needs to inject money in the bank accounts of India's poor households... it is going to cost around Rs 65,000 crore. It will transform how people are thinking" Gandhi said. "We are in an emergency and idea of injecting a sum of Rs 7500 directly into hands of poor is critical," he added.

The Congress leader also called upon the prime minister to devolve power and take the states and district magistrates into confidence.

"We need to decentralise power in dealing with the virus. If we keep this fight only in PMO, we will lose. The PM must devolve power. If we centralise, there will be a calamity. PM has to trust chief ministers and chief ministers have to trust district magistrates," he said.

"There is a strong feeling that we need to immediately release packages to the MSMEs, give money in the hands of the poor and have a strategy for the migrants besides preparing for the opening of the lockdown," he said.

Gandhi also called upon the government to tell the people what criteria it would use to open the lockdown or continue it post-May 17.