Gehlot not using relief fund money, playing appeasement politics: Rajasthan BJP chief

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia hits out at the Congress-led government in the state over its mismanagement of COVID-19 crisis. He claimed that the virus spreading rapidly from Jodhpur and is becoming viral vector amidst nationwide lockdown. He also accused CM Gehlot of playing appeasement politics in times of crisis.

Hyderabad: After showing promising signs in the beginning, Rajasthan's fight against COVID-19 has come under scrutiny after several Ramganj areas became containment zones and Jodhpur becoming a viral vector of sorts in the state.

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Rajasthan BJP chief Satish poonia hit out at the Congress-led government in the state and accused CM Ashok Gehlot of playing appeasement politics, mismanaging funds and lockdown and hiding the real COVID-19 figures of the infected.

Poonia said that even after curfew was imposed in three police station limits of Sardarpura, the CM's own constituency, but the situation worsened as virus spread across the state from hotspot areas of Ramganj.

"A person from Ramganj spread the disease directly and indirectly in Barmer, Sikar and other districts. The infection spread to 31 of 33 districts due to administrative failure," Poonia said.

He further alleged that Gehlot did not spend from the CM COVID-19 fund and all work was done by NGOs, religious organisations, MLA funds and agencies working with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

The BJP chief also accused the CM of promoting vote bank politics and also accused Gehlot of letting community spread happen in areas of Ramganj, Jodhpur and Kota leaving the minority communities the worst affected.