Centre circulating stories against Bengal to create pan-India panic and this is far from reality: TMC
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party severely criticised the Centre for taking decisions based on information supplied by "BJP's facebook factory and WhatsApp university" and calling Kolkata the epicentre of COVID- 19 cases in India.
"When Kerala and Bengal are models to check the spread of COVID- 19, it is most unfortunate that the BJP is calling Kolkata the Wuhan of India. The Centre is getting information by BJP's Facebook factory and WhatsApp university which is full of lies and half-truths," said Derek O' Brien.
O' Brien said the Union Health ministry is sending 20 teams to help different state governments. "It is sending 3 teams each to Gujarat, Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh and two teams each to Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Utter Pradesh and one team to Kolkata. The Centre is circulating stories against Bengal to create pan India panic and this is far from reality."
He said that one team will be sent to Kolkata to make an on the spot survey. "This has clearly shown the vindictive attitude of the Centre," he added. He maintained that because of the timely decision by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the situation in Kolkata is better than any other city in India. "Mamata Banerjee-led state government took measures much earlier and the situation is under control. But BJP is spreading canard at a time when the whole country is fighting against COVID- 19 pandemic," he said.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led the main campaign against COVID- 19 and visited different areas to create awareness among the people. She requested them to wear a mask when they go out and maintain physical distancing. "No chief minister of any other state could be seen doing a campaign like her," Bandyopadhyay said adding, two teams had already visited Bengal, one in Kolkata and the other in North Bengal and the teams did not say "that condition of the state is horrible."
Dinesh Trivedi, Rajya Sabha MP said: "The Centre should be unbiased in taking decisions and should study the situation instead of depending on some false information."
Meanwhile, a two-member central team comprising Aparajita Dasgupta and Leena Bandyopadhyay wrote an e-mail to the Principal secretary Health Vivek Kumar to fix a meeting on Tuesday and to take stock of the situation.
After the meeting, the team may visit the containment areas and for that, they have sought logistic support from the state government. After visiting different places, the team will give its recommendations to the state government.