BJP shrugs TMC's charge over COVID-19 surge; says Mamata finds politics in every disaster

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit back at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over its claims that Central leaders were ‘busy campaigning’ for the West Bengal elections when the second wave of COVID-19 hit the country.

Holding the BJP responsible for the devastating second wave of the pandemic, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said the Prime Minister deprived 130 crore people of the country and exported COVID-19 vaccines to 80 countries to ‘boost his image.’ Citing the issues of oxygen shortage, lack of beds and medicines in some worst-hit states, CM Mamata Banerjee’s nephew said the Centre is totally mishandling the Coronavirus situation.

Countering Trinamool’s claims, BJP MP Arjun Singh said, if the Mamata Banerjee government was concerned about the pandemic, she would have attended the meetings chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the COVID situation with the Chief Ministers.

“The Prime Minister has called multiple meetings with CMs to discuss ways to tackle the pandemic situation, but Mamata Banerjee has never joined a single meeting. She can speak to the press but not to the PM. People are aware of her politics and they know that the pishi-bhaipo duo functions on the basis of lies,” Singh told Republic TV.

The BJP MP stated that the TMC finds politics in every disaster, be it the Coronavirus pandemic or cyclone Amphan. Earlier they were playing politics over vaccines, now they are playing politics over oxygen shortage, he said.

'BJP reached magic numbers in Bengal'

Reacting to Abhishek Banerjee’s claim that the TMC would win a 2/3rd majority in the ongoing elections, Arjun Singh said the BJP has already reached major numbers in the six phases of the polls and will win the elections successfully.

“They (TMC) are dreaming of coming back to power. But the people of Bengal have already voted for change. BJP has reached magic numbers till the sixth phase of the elections and we will win this battle successfully,” he said.

Polling is currently underway for 34 seats in the seventh phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal, amid tight security and a rampaging second wave of COVID-19. Over 86 lakh voters will decide the political fate of 284 candidates in this phase. Six rounds of the eight-phased assembly elections in the state have already taken place, with the last phase scheduled for Thursday. Votes will be counted on Sunday.