India News | Oppn Slams TMC for Alleged Lax Implementation of Lockdown as Govt Admits Community Transmission
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Opposition parties in West Bengal Monday slammed the TMC government for allegedly not implementing the lockdown properly, leading to community transmission of COVID-19 in certain areas, and asked it to name the communities among which the prevalence rate is the highest.
Kolkata, Jul 20 (PTI) Opposition parties in West Bengal Monday slammed the TMC government for allegedly not implementing the lockdown properly, leading to community transmission of COVID-19 in certain areas, and asked it to name the communities among which the prevalence rate is the highest.
Their attack came after the Mamata Banerjee government on Monday admitted that community transmission of COVID-19 has been recorded in a few areas in West Bengal, and ordered a complete lockdown across the state for two days every week.
The decision was taken following a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said.
Reacting to the development, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said the state government must come clean on the communities and the areas where community transmission has started.
Also Read | Defence Ministry Signs Rs 557-Crore Contract with BEML to Procure 1,512 Mine Plough For T-90 Tanks.
"We know very well that the lockdown was not implemented in West Bengal during the initial months. No restriction was in place in minority-dominated areas. This community transmission is due to the failure of the state government to implement the lockdown," Sinha said.
The development comes amid West Bengal witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. On Monday, the health department said the state recorded a new high of 2,282 COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 44,769. At least 35 people succumbed to the infection, raising the death toll to 1,147.
Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said had the lockdown been implemented more strictly, the situation would have been much better.
"When lockdown was implemented across the country, West Bengal was the only state which did not implement it properly. It was then busy hiding figures. Had the government been serious in implementing it, the situation would have been much better," Chowdhury said.
CPI(M) legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should give the reasons behind why community transmission started.
The ruling TMC termed the charges "baseless and a reflection of political vindictiveness towards the TMC".
"The allegations against our government are baseless and concocted. The Bengal government did its best to control the situation. If you look at the national average, we have fared far better. The contagion has spread due to the whimsical and unplanned lockdown by the Centre. It has only led to India gaining number three position worldwide," TMC leader and MP Santanu Sen said.
Home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay also said there are a few areas in the state where community transmission of COVID-19 has been detected.
"After talking to experts, doctors, enforcement authorities and the police, we have decided to impose complete lockdown for two days every week in the entire state to break the chain (of transmission)," he told reporters during the day.
All offices, transport services will be shut down on those two days, he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)