Akhilesh questions PM Modi's claim on screening of travellers at airports

"The country would be truly benefitted, if and only if the meaningful work is done," the SP chief said

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the country had begun screening people coming from abroad long before even a single coronavirus positive case was found in the country.

In a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday, the former UP chief minister said, "It was claimed that the screening started at different airports when there was not even a single corona case in the country." "But the question then is how much serious and meaningful it proved. If it is true, then it should be told how the country got its first corona case," said the Samajwadi party president.

"The country would be truly benefitted, if and only if the meaningful work is done," added Yadav.

While announcing the extension of the current lockdown by another 19 days, the prime minister, in his address to the nation had said the country had begun taking preventive and precautionary measures against the virus much before the detection of even a single case.

A medic wearing protective suits waits to cremate a COVID-19 patient during a nationwide lockdown, at Nigam Bodh Ghat in New Delhi. PTI

"Long before we had even a single case of Corona, India had started screening travelers coming in from corona-affected countries at airports," the prime minister had said. "Much before the number of corona patients reached 100, India had made 14-day isolation mandatory for all those coming in from abroad," he had added.

Coronavirus fatalities in Uttar Pradesh rose to eight as three more people succumbed to the infection on Tuesday, a day when the state reported 99 fresh cases, taking the count to 657, an official said. Among the fresh deaths, two were reported from Agra and one in Moradabad. Agra has reported the maximum fatalities in the state with three people succumbing to the infection in the district till now.

Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters, "A total of 657 coronavirus positive cases have been reported from 44 districts. Of them, 49 have been treated. So far, eight deaths have been reported from the state. He added that those who died of the infection were suffering from other health problems too.