Rahul says lockdown will devastate poor, calls for more compassionate approach

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the 21-day lockdown announced by the government will devastate the poor and the weak and called for a more nuanced and compassionate approach to deal with the crisis created by the coronavirus.

"The lockdown will devastate our poor and weak. It will deliver a heavy blow to India we love. India isn't black and white. Our decisions have to be carefully thought through. A more nuanced and compassionate approach is required to deal with this crisis. It's still not too late," he said.

Gandhi said in a tweet that the decisions of the government have to be carefully thought through.

He attached a video clip with his tweet which shows a child crying and saying with pain in his voice that he was hungry for the past four days. The child says when his father tries to go to the bazaar, the police beats him and they also beat up a woman, who had come to offer them food.

Gandhi said it was not too late to adopt a more compassionate approach and noted that the lockdown "will deliver a heavy blow to India we love".

The government had enforced a lockdown from Tuesday midnight throughout the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.