Amid concern over the spike in novel coronavirus cases in India, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi has come under severe criticism from the Centre for allegedly creating confusion among the migrant labourers, which resulted in a massive exodus of these workers from the capital city.
Sources in the central government told ANI that the Aam Admi Party dispensation in Delhi had made the migrant workers believe that the lockdown, which will be in force till April 14, could be extended three more months. They believe that this rumour prompted many labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar to leave the city and travel to their home state on foot.
“There is misleading information on the extension of lockdown being floated by the AAP government. They have issued curfew passes for three months which created more confusion on the tenure of the lockdown,” the sources told the news agency.
The Centre came down heavily on the Delhi government even as Kejriwal on Sunday pleaded with the migrant workers to stay put in the capital city and warned if even one person among the labourers has the virus, he could infect others and the disease could reach the villages.
"A large number of people are returning from cities to their villages. I appeal to them please stay wherever you are," Kejriwal had said while addressing a press briefing.
However, the Centre doesn’t seem to be impressed with this. The sources pointed out that there were loudspeaker announcements that buses were available for those who wanted to leave the city. But the Centre finds it as “mischievous and morally incorrect on so many levels”.
Kejriwal is also accused of playing politics at a time when the whole country is putting up a united fight against the deadly virus. Sources told the news agency that the chief minister misled the migrants by saying that the Uttar Pradesh government had arranged buses for them, whereas no such arrangements had been made at that time.
Thousands of labourers, rendered jobless due to the lockdown, had gathered at a bus terminus near UP-Delhi border and hundreds even started walking down thousands of kilometres in a desperate attempt to reach their homes, triggering fears that efforts to contain the spread of the virus could fail.
Meanwhile, the Union government on Monday clarified that there was no plan to extend the 21-day lockdown which came into force on Tuesday midnight.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting tweeted, saying Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has denied media reports claiming that the government will extend the lockdown.
"There are rumours & media reports, claiming that the Government will extend the #Lockdown21 when it expires. The Cabinet Secretary has denied these reports, and stated that they are baseless," it said.
