Tejashwi Yadav converts his govt residence into Covid care centre; ruling parties call it ‘drama’

Tejashwi Yadav Converts His Govt. Residence Into Covid Care Centre; Ruling Parties call it ‘Drama’

        

            Continuing his offensive stance against the Bihar government over alleged mismanagement in handling Covid-19 surge in the second wave, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Wednesday converted his official residence at 1 Polo Road in the state capital as a Covid care centre as a gesture to extend help to Covid-19. In a letter to chief minister Nitish Kumar, Yadav urged the state government to take over the centre for its operationalisation.

        “There is already a huge shortage of beds and isolation centre. Poor people infected with Covid have no space in their dwellings to go for isolation or get quarantined. As a responsibility towards those affected with Covid, I have converted my official residence to a covid care centre. I want to hand over the centre to you and your department to run it. I will always be ready for any further help,” the 31-year-old Yadav scion said in his letter.

        Yadav, who is in New Delhi, dashed out a fresh letter to the chief minister on Wednesday, saying that he had opened the Covid care centre from his funds with all facilities like oxygen cylinders, beds, medicines as well as meal facilities for patients and attendants.

       He also posted a video on his official Twitter handle, slamming the government for its alleged insensitivity and poor health infrastructure to handle the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the state. Yadav also rued the fact that the chief minister had not responded to his letters wherein suggestions were made to tone up the health system and contain the spread of the deadly virus, especially in rural areas.

       On Tuesday, the opposition leader had written to the CM seeking his permission to visit hospitals and primary health centres and make field visits to assess the various initiatives that were being taken by his party to provide beds, oxygen cylinders to Covid-19 patients.

        Yadav said he had written a letter to health minister Mangal Pandey to take over the covid care centre for its smooth operation so that those patients who could not get beds could be admitted there.

       The ruling JD(U) and BJP were quick to dub Yadav’s move as “drama”.

        “Tejashwi is enjoying luxury in New Delhi during this period of Covid. It is his old habit to run away whenever there is a crisis in Bihar. At a time when the state has made all arrangements to handle the pandemic, he is seeking permission to come to Bihar. By whose permission did he go to New Delhi that he is seeking permission to come back?” said Nikhil Anand, state BJP spokesperson.

       Anand said Yadav is afraid of the growing popularity of former MP Pappu Yadav and now wants to come back to save his so-called Muslim-Yadav politics.

       Senior JD(U) leader and MLC Neeraj Kumar called Yadav’s move a political stunt to mislead people. “Tejashwi should tell first whether he would reside at his official residence to boost the morale of the covid patients? Opening a covid care centre at the official residence is only an eyewash. The intentions are not clear,” he said.

       "It  is hilarious that Tejashwi has opened a covid care centre at his official residence and wants the government to run it. What does he want to prove? Tejashwi has all resources and there are doctors in his family. They can easily run a covid centre at their residence. This is all big drama,” said Suheli Mehta, JD(U) spokesperson.

(Source : Hindustan Times)