More jokers in circus called Central govt: Cong, NCP hit back at Rajnath's remarks

Referring to the remarks made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, over handling of the COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra on Monday, Congress leaders said people are seeing the circus called the Central government because at a time when virus cases are increasing day-by-day, the ruling party is celebrating by organising election rallies and this circus has more jokers.

Mumbai: Ruling NCP and Congress in Maharashtra on Tuesday hit back at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who had slammed the Shiv Sena-led dispensation over its handling of the COVID-19 situation by calling it a circus.

Senior NCP leader and Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had praised the "Mumbai model"amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Mumbai Congress leader Charan Singh Sapra said people are seeing the circus called the Central government which has been insensitive towards them.

"In this circus, the number of jokers is more," he said.

"It is laughable that the government which runs on a ringmaster's hunter is calling a democratically-run government (in Maharashtra) as a circus...It seems Rajnath Singh is sharing his experience (as a minister in the Modi government)," Malik said while referring to the remarks made by Singh on Monday during a virtual rally of BJP workers from Maharashtra.

Sapra wondered if "virtual election rallies" of the BJP amidst the COVID-19 crisis can be called a circus.

"At a time when the number of COVID-19 cases have crossed more than one lakh (actual count more than 2.6 lakh as on June 9) in the country, the ruling party is celebrating by organising election rallies. Isn't it a circus? The state government is giving a tough fight to the coronavirus," he said.

The entire country is seeing the circus of the insensitive Central government, and in that circus, the number of jokers is more, Sapra alleged.

At 88,528 COVID-19 cases and 3,169 deaths as on June 8, Maharashtra continues to report the maximum number of infections in the country.

PTI