Coronavirus not deadly, Centre must allay fears over it: Rahul Gandhi

The novel coronavirus is not a deadly disease and the government must alleviate the fears associated with it as part of measures to lift the nationwide lockdown, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday.

While addressing reporters via video-conference on the observations made by the party's internal committee, Gandhi said, "The lockdown doesn't mean switching on and off the key. It requires a psychological change The opening itself is a transition."

Further explaining the same, he said, "The disease is dangerous for a few categories of people. It is dangerous for old people, for those who have diabetes, hypertension etc. But other than that, it is not a dangerous disease. So we have to make a psychological change in the mind of the people. Currently, people are very scared. The government, if it wants to open up, will have to turn this fear into a sense of confidence."

Gandhi, who has been holding constant talks with public intellectuals on the virus pandemic and its subsequent repercussions, also highlighted the need to "reduce the pain of the migrant labourers".

"If you are on daily wages, you don't have a choice but you (the government) have to give them a choice. A conversation between states have to take place with empathy towards migrants and the Centre has to oversee them. The pain has to be reduced," he told reporters.

"We are in a state of emergency. The idea that we can let our job creators drown is not feasible. We have to build a wall for them so that they can fight what is coming. We have to build a financial support from them," he added.

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)