Mumbai: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the opposition of “instigating” the opposition to leave Mumbai by intimidating migrants during the COVID-19 lockdown, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik Nawab Malik on Tuesday hit back, claiming that the ‘Namaste Trump’ program organized by Modi led to the spread of the corona virus global epidemic in the country. The then US President Donald Trump came to India in February 2020 and addressed a public meeting at a stadium in Ahmedabad as part of the ‘Namaste Trump’ program.
Modi on Monday alleged in the Lok Sabha that the Congress had “crossed all limits” during the COVID-19 pandemic. He accused the party of provoking and intimidating the workers and claimed that due to this the migrant workers left Mumbai and went to their native places. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Malik said on Tuesday, “When the Maharashtra government was demanding a ban on international flights, your (Prime Minister Modi’s) own health minister (Dr. Harsh Vardhan at that time) was insisting That the corona virus infection will not spread.” He alleged, “Modi invited people from all over the world to India for the ‘Namaste Trump’ program and due to this the corona virus infection spread in all parts of the country.”
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Malik claimed, “Prime Minister Modi is responsible for the spread of corona virus in the country.” The alliance of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP is currently in power in Maharashtra. He said, “You (Modi) said that we gave money to the migrants for the tickets. That’s true, but you arranged the special trains and we paid for the tickets. We paid the cost of train tickets because you wanted to collect money from migrant workers and workers.”
The NCP leader said, “When the migrant workers were walking to their native places on foot, the Uttar Pradesh government arranged buses for the first time to help the workers reach home. The Bihar government did the same thing. When the lockdown was imposed, you asked people to play plates.”
He alleged that Modi announced the lockdown “without considering the decision, or its consequences.” Crores of people were affected due to this type of decision.” Malik said, “The Maharashtra government provided food, water and arranged tickets for them (diaspora Indians). You didn’t provide the train service for free.” The minister said, “We also operated special bus service for migrant workers so that they can return to their native places. We stood with the migrant workers.”(agency)