New Delhi: Rahul Bajaj, a renowned industrialist and Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, called the nationwide lockdown "draconian" which has decimated India's economy rather than containing the Coronavirus pandemic.
"India has been locked down is a draconian lockdown. This kind of lockdown, I'm not hearing about from anywhere else. Unfortunately India not only looked West, it went to the wild West. So, in terms of social and emotional aspects of this lockdown other countries seem to have been in a much better place," said Rajiv Bajaj during an online conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
He further added, "On one hand the porous lockdown makes sure that the virus still exist, but you have definitely decimated the economy. You flattened the wrong curve. It is not the infection curve, it is the GDP curve. This is what we have ended up with the worst of both the Worlds. In my view, what should have been done is something more right of centre."
Congress party, on Thursday, released the conversation of industrialist Rajiv Bajaj with Rahul Gandhi. This is the fourth video of the on-going series of Rahul Gandhi's conversation with global experts regarding the impact of Covid-19 on various sectors.
By calling it a "failed" lockdown, Gandhi asserted that the Government is opening up the nation when the number of patients are increasing rapidly, to which Bajaj replied, "To our perception as a common citizen, it is happening as passing of the buck and not passing of the strategy."
He even questioned Gandhi about the reason behind not to give money directly in the hands of people.
"The real stories of people from Japan and USA getting thousand Dollars a person as support not as stimulus. We are not even talking about stimulus here. We are just talking support whether it is for big business is small businesses or for any individual. I am told in many places in the world two-thirds of what the government has handed out had gone to organisations and people as direct benefits. Whereas in India it has been only 10%," he said.
Bajaj asserted that a large country like India can't save itself from the trouble, it has to sail itself out of trouble. He suggested, "We have to get demand going again. We have to provide something that lifts the mood of the people and I don't understand why there is no strong initiative, even if it is for a period of 6 months or one year to strongly lift the mood of people and provide a stimulus to demand."
When asked whether the feat damages businesses, Bajaj replied that nobody will invest in India unless there's no confidence.
While speaking over the process of opening up the lockdown, Rajiv Bajaj said, "I'm not seen that smooth concerted rhythmic movement towards unlocking. A kind of aligned approach is required. It's a Herculean task to open. But the first problem is to get this year out of the minds of people, for which there has to be a very clear aligned narrative from the PM because when he says something people seem to follow."
"PM needs to stand up and say to everyone that this is how we are going forward, it's all under control, do not fear infection, almost nobody is dying and we have to move forward now," he added.
Read more: Will do everything possible for Indians & India Inc: Anurag Thakur
