In a path breaking call with no parallels, Rahul Gandhi, the Member of Parliament and ex President of the Indian National Congress (INC), asked his party men to quit political work and help the people suffering from COVID-19 since the system has failed.
“‘System’ failed, so it’s important to do Jan ki baat: In this crisis, the country needs responsible citizens. I request my Congress colleagues to leave all political work- just provide all help and ease the pain of our countrymen. This is the Dharma of the Congress family,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Jan ki Baat” (People’s Concern) is a jibe to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation through his monthly radio programme “Mann ki Baat” (Heart’s Concern) on Sunday morning.
The call to help comes after the Government led by PM Narendra Modi has totally failed in controlling the COVID-19 deaths and fanned the disease by rampant electioneering and negligence. Rahul Gandhi was also the first one to call off the election rallies in West Bengal citing the growing Coronavirus cases.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is also the mother of Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday ordered the setting up of an All India Congress Committee control room to coordinate with the party’s state units about the relief activities being carried out during the second wave of the pandemic. “The AICC control room will coordinate with Pradesh (state) Congress Committee control rooms on a daily basis and report back”, the party said in a statement.
Rahul Gandhi, who is himself COVID-19 positive has repeatedly blamed the Modi government for its failure to effectively respond to the imminent second wave of the pandemic, maintaining that the government was caught napping.