Coronavirus: Shashi Tharoor Accuses PM Modi Of Announcing Lockdown In Haste, Compares It With Demonetisation

At a time when the nation is trying to stand united in the fight against coronavirus, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a 21-day nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of the COVID-19. The Congress leader has accused the prime minister of not giving people enough time to prepare before the lockdown was imposed. "Na Hee Tab Taiyari Thee Na Hee Ab Taiyari Hai, Tab Bhi Janata Haari Thi, Ab Bhi Janata Haari Hai (Neither there was a preparation then (apparently referring to demonetization), nor now. That time also the common man was at the receiving end, so is today)," Tharoor wrote on Twitter.

He compared the present situation with the demonetisation by sharing two pictures on the micro-blogging site. While one picture showed a long queue outside banks after the demonetisation in 2016 and the other showed a huge crowd of migrant workers at a bus terminal. On one picture he wrote Notebandi (Demonetisation) and on the other it was written, 'Lockdown'.

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Earlier, Congress leader Kapil Sibal also targeted the prime minister for allegedly making no preparations before imposing nationwide lockdown.

ना ही तब तैयारी थी
ना ही अब तैयारी है
तब भी जनता हारी थी
अब भी जनता हारी है #LockdownWithoutPlan pic.twitter.com/JDdk8wDlka

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 29, 2020

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi too has written to PM Modi saying the sudden lockout has created immense panic and confusion.

"It is critical for us to understand that India's conditions are unique. We will be required to take different steps than other large countries who are following a total lockdown strategy," Gandhi said.

A 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by PM Modi as a measure to tackle the outbreak of the highly contagious COVID-19. Following this, thousands of migrant labourers started leaving Delhi by walking in the absence of any mode of transport. Several pictures of these daily wagers walking barefoot towards their native places have gone viral on the internet.

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Several state governments were forced to provide them bus facility but they have announced that all those crossing the state border will be kept in quarantine 14 days.