Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the handling of the novel coronavirus crisis by the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra governmen...
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the handling of the novel coronavirus crisis by the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government resembled a “circus”, and not governance, PTI reported.
“It looks like the situation in Maharashtra is more of a circus than a government,” Singh said addressing Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Maharashtra via videoconferencing. “It is highly unfortunate to see the state crawling despite having the strong leadership of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.”
Maharashtra has by far the highest number of coronavirus cases, and deaths, of any state in the country. As of Monday night, the state had reported 88,528 cases and 3,169 deaths, according to the state government’s data.
Singh alleged that in Maharashtra, which has a Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress coalition government since last November, “greed for power has prevailed over political alliance and commitments”. This was perhaps a reference to the Shiv Sena, which broke its alliance with the BJP last year to head the government in Maharashtra.
“I wonder whether any government exists in Maharashtra when I see a coronavirus patient waiting for ambulance for more than 16 hours,” Singh said.
He also criticised the Maharashtra government after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut targeted actor Sonu Sood. Sood has been credited with making transport arrangements for...
