Congress claims 'BJP manufactured disaster' to tackle COVID-19; shares video of timeline

In the thick of the Coronavirus crisis, the Congress party shared a timeline alleging BJP's 'manufactured disaster', and the government's negligence towards the timely supply of medical equipment.  It further noted that the doctors and medical staff were 'risking their lives without proper care' amid the health crisis. The condemnation from the Congress party comes as the country crossed the 3000 cases mark on April 4, and confirmed 75 deaths as of Sunday morning.  

In a video shared by the Congress party, it said that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturers in India alleged 'delayed response' from the government to tackle the global pandemic. The Congress party stated that the Preventive Wear Manufacturer Association of India (PWMAI) chairman had reached out to the Health Ministry in February, however, was met with no response. According to the video released by the Congress party, here is what it claims: 

Congress shares a timeline 

• February: PWMAI allegedly reaches out to the Health Ministry for manufacturing guidelines. 
• February 27: WHO notes a shortage of PPEs and advises rational use of equipment.
• March 18: The Ministry of Textiles notes a shortage of PPE in India. 
• March 19: The export of PPE and related raw materials is banned. 
• March 21: Health Ministry responds to the PWMAI requests.
• March 24: Guidelines crucial to the manufacturing of PPE are issued. 

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Sharing multiple news reports through the video, the Congress party also underlined that more doctors and medical staff were getting infected with Coronavirus. Calling it a 'criminal action', it the grand old party further stated that no amount of 'clapping or lighting lamps' can compensate for the lives risked. The Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday criticised the government for their "unplanned" implementation of the countrywide lockdown that she said had caused "chaos and pain" to millions of migrant workers.

Calling for the availability of all necessary equipment for medical professionals, she said the onus lies on the government to ensure that the spread of infection and casualties are not caused owing to lack of infrastructure or preparedness. "The 21-day national lockdown may have been necessary but the unplanned manner in which it has been implemented has caused chaos and pain in the lives of millions of migrant workers all over India," she noted.

On the contrary, the government on Friday asserted there is no shortage of medical supplies across the country to fight the Coronavirus outbreak."The government of India is making sure that all the essential medical supplies are in place to fight COVID-19. 62 lifeline Udan flights transported over 15.4 tons of essential medical supplies in the last five days," Union Minister for Chemical and Fertilizers D V Sadanada Gowda said in a tweet.

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(With PTI inputs)