Mamata Banerjee lashes out at PM Modi during video conference with chief ministers

PM Modi interacts with CMs on ways to strengthen COVID-19 containment strategy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi: During the prime minister's video conference with state heads West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the central government and the prime minister of 'playing politics' in times of crisis, according to TV reports.

"This is not the time to play politics. Nobody ever asks our opinion… Don't bulldoze the federal structure," NDTV sources quoted her as saying at the meeting.

Calling the nationwide lockdown a "poorly planned" exercise, she suggested that states be allowed to decide on which sectors to open and which to keep shut keeping in mind the situation on the ground.

Mamata Banerjee lashes out at PM Modi's during meeting with chief ministers
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal and the BJP-led Union government have locked horns since the beginning of the pandemic, with the Centre accusing the state government over its COVID-19 response and enforcement of the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the disease.

The Trinamool Congress has dubbed the allegations as "baseless and politically motivated".

The war of words between the two escalated after the Centre sent two teams from Delhi to assess the COVID-19 situation in the state. The TMC government had strongly protested their arrival without consulting them beforehand.

PM pitches for 'balanced strategy'

India will have to devise and implement a "balanced strategy" to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and the biggest challenge for the country will be to ensure that the infection does not spread to villages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers on Monday during a video conference.

Appreciating the role played by the states in the fight against the pandemic, Modi said the entire world is of the view that India has been able to successfully protect itself from the pandemic.

The prime minister conveyed to the chief ministers that a "balanced strategy will have to be adopted for the road ahead, and what path and the direction the country" should adopt could be determined on the basis of the suggestions by the states, sources said.

The "problems" have increased wherever the social distancing norms were not followed or there has been laxity in implementation of the lockdown guidelines, Modi told the chief ministers.

It was essential to make best efforts to ensure that people stay where they were during the lockdown, the prime minister said. However, in times like these people wish to go home and therefore, a change in decision had to be made, he added.

Modi said the biggest challenge would be to ensure that the disease does not spread to villages across the country after relaxations provided by the government.

Concerned over trains services

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Tamil Nadu's Edappadi Palaniswami urged the prime minister not to allow resumption of train services to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The Telangana CM told Modi that since conducting tests on all those travelling through trains or keeping them in quarantine is not possible, trains should not be operated at this stage.

“I request you not to begin regular train and rail services till May 31,” Palaniswami also told Modi.

Whereas, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh asked while pitching for the extension of lockdown also demanded that the states should be provided greater fiscal and economic empowerment.

Large-scale movement of migrant workers from urban to rural India and the problems their return to home states may cause in restarting the economy was also being discussed during the fifth virtual interaction between the prime minister and chief ministers since the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country.

There will be an effort to ensure that all participating chief ministers get an opportunity to air their views during the interaction, as some of the CMs had complained that they were not allowed to put forth their views during the last interaction on April 27.

The interaction is attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan among others.

The nationwide lockdown has been in force since March 25 to contain the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 2,200 people, and afflicted more than 67,000 in the country.

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