New Delhi: The politics around the lockdown and the subsequent exodus of migrants across the country has alarmed many on Twitter and raised temperatures as well.
But first, a huge controversy over scary and horrifying footage of migrants in Bareilly being `sanitised’—with a chemical solution.
Who r u trying to kill, Corona or humans? Migrant labourers and their families were forced to take bath in chemical solution upon their entry in Bareilly. @Uppolice@bareillytraffic @Benarasiyaa @shaileshNBT pic.twitter.com/JVGSvGqONm
— Kanwardeep singh (@KanwardeepsTOI) March 30, 2020
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra General Secretary, Congress and Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party immediately expressed their outrage.
यूपी सरकार से गुजारिश है कि हम सब मिलकर इस आपदा के खिलाफ लड़ रहे हैं लेकिन कृपा करके ऐसे अमानवीय काम मत करिए।
मजदूरों ने पहले से ही बहुत दुख झेल लिए हैं। उनको केमिकल डाल कर इस तरह नहलाइए मत। इससे उनका बचाव नहीं होगा बल्कि उनकी सेहत के लिए और खतरे पैदा हो जाएंगे। pic.twitter.com/ftovaFHR5q
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 30, 2020
यात्रियों पर सेनिटाइज़ेशन के लिए किए गए केमिकल छिड़काव से उठे कुछ सवाल:
– क्या इसके लिए विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन के निर्देश हैं?
– केमिकल से हो रही जलन का क्या इलाज है?
– भीगे लोगों के कपड़े बदलने की क्या व्यवस्था है?
– साथ में भीगे खाने के सामान की क्या वैकल्पिक व्यवस्था है? pic.twitter.com/Wgqh8Ntkky— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 30, 2020
As the video went out on social media and TV news, Bareilly’s District Magistrate offered this lame and shocking explanation.
इस वीडियो की पड़ताल की गई, प्रभावित लोगों का सीएमओ के निर्देशन में उपचार किया जा रहा है। बरेली नगर निगम एवं फायर ब्रिगेड की टीम को बसों को सैनेटाइज़ करने के निर्देश थे, पर अति सक्रियता के चलते उन्होंने ऐसा कर दिया। सम्बंधित के विरुद्ध कार्रवाई के निर्देश दिए गए हैं। https://t.co/y8TmuCNyu5
— DM Bareilly (@dmbareilly) March 30, 2020
Not surprisingly, Amit Malviya, BJP sprung to the defense of the Bareilly authorities with a video grab of an equally terrible incident in another state.
This is Kerala, where agencies are mass ‘spraying’ people crossing borders. But all the outrage is reserved for UP, because a saffron clad monk of the BJP is the Chief Minister and is doing a good job!#IndiaFightsCorona while ‘The Lobby’ fights India…pic.twitter.com/FWCUxWbl5z
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 30, 2020
In other news, a rare moment of warmth between political rivals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares his condolences with former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah on the death of his uncle, Dr Mohd Ali Mattoo. He also praised Abdullah — read why.
https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/1244496283038928896″>
After declaring a truce last week and endorsing the government’s lockdown, Congress is back to its old ways.
Congress leader and former union minister P. Chidambaram gives the Modi government a few lessons in the economic management of a lockdown.
It is now conclusively established that the lockdown was declared and enforced in 4 hours without any preparation whatsoever. Tragic.
A confidence boosting financial assistance plan should have been announced either BEFORE or SIMULTANEOUSLY with the announcement of lockdown.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 30, 2020
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shows he cares, too, by questioning the PM’s fund.
This is important. Why not simply rename PMNRF as PM-CARES, given the PM's penchant for catchy acronyms, instead of creating a separate Public Charitable Trust whose rules & expenditure are totally opaque? @PMOIndia you owe the country an explanation for this highly unusual step. https://t.co/qRhX0T1PmB
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 30, 2020
Convicted prisoners are being released from jails due to fears of community spread of Covid-19 — read to see what concerns BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy.
https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/1244514028849790978″>
Bollywood film superstar Amitabh Bachchan attempts a little humour—many of us would agree with his sentiment.
T 3484 – " Can we please delete the 2020 year and then reinstall it anew ?
This version is with virus !" ~ Ef j
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) March 29, 2020
Best-selling author J.K. Rowling pays tribute to the three healthcare workers in the UK who died while working on the coronavirus frontline – and makes a political statement of it too.
RIP. May we NEVER forget what immigrants, and their children and grandchildren, have given this country, especially our health service. https://t.co/3JLSilO4BD
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 29, 2020
An ET Now report on the Prime Minister Modi’s animated yoga routine which he shared on Twitter, prompted a Guardian journalist to point out the virtues of walking – as thousands of migrants trudge home.
Don't forget brisk walking, thousands of kilometres home https://t.co/CxMTFaNnxC
— michael safi (@safimichael) March 30, 2020
While US President Donald Trump has been viral on the coronavirus, he’s also found time to reiterate his friendship with the British Royal family, while keeping his purse strings tight.
I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
From BJP, Republic TV anchor Arnab Goswami to pesky `termites’ — comedian Kunal Kamra and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor have spared no one in this thread. Read on.
Hahahahahaha @republic Dr @ShashiTharoor called Arnab a termite & I think that’s deeply offensive to termites…
Please let’s have a debate on this
🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/pObPFZQMdO
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) March 30, 2020