Prasad slams Sonia's remarks concerning COVID 19 crisis, says not time to create political divide

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday took objection to remarks of Congress President Sonia Gandhi about the manner in which the government has dealt with crisis created by coronavirus saying the country was fighting a courageous battle under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the need of the hour is to forget political divide and manifest united determination to meet the challenge.

"I would urge Congress President Sonia Gandhi that it is not the occasion to create a political divide and do something which in a way seeks to bring political fissures to the common determination in the fight against COVID-19," Prasad told ANI.

He said that when a country is showing a united resolve, it seems surprising and shocking that the Congress president "has chosen to question the very lockdown itself" and has raised criticism that it was announced without preparation.

"India is facing challenging times and the need for the hour is that the entire country, forgetting political divide, should speak in one voice and manifest a united determination," he said.

The minister said raising questions on a life-saving initiative was "regrettable and painful".

"We can have our political differences separately but raising question on this life-saving initiative which people of India accepted willingly and was announced with due consultation of doctors and experts by a party like a Congress is regrettable and also painful," he said.

Prasad said the country is facing one of the biggest curses the world has faced - the pandemic of coronavirus.

"Lakhs of people globally are infected and thousands are dying in the world. India is also fighting a courageous battle under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Prasad said that it is a matter of great assurance that the entire country in spite of difficulties, wholeheartedly welcomed the Prime Minister's appeal for Janta Curfew and also his appeal for lockdown to save lives of 130 crore Indians.

He said the people of India have responded wholeheartedly, doctors and paramedic staff are rendering help round-the-clock all over the country in containing COVID-19. "The civil society, bureaucracy, police, state and central governments all are working together," he said.

Sonia Gandhi had in his address to the Congress Working Committee on Thursday termed the 21-day nationwide lockdown "unplanned" and said it has caused chaos and panic in the lives of migrant workers.

"The 21-day national lockdown may have been necessary but the unplanned manner in which it has been implemented has caused chaos and pain in the lives of millions of migrant workers all over India. It has been heartbreaking to see lakhs of people walking for hundreds of kilometres towards their villages without food or shelter," she said.

The party said in its statement that the financial action plan of the government failed to instil confidence among the poor and the people "witnessed the tragic spectacle of thousands of migrant workers desperately trying to go back to their villages by any means whatsoever including on foot.""That spectacle will forever remain a blot on the Modi government," it said.