President’s Rule, the only way out in Maharashtra? Swamy says 'Time is now or never'

Mumbai, May 20: The World facing the biological disaster by the disease popularly known as COVID-19 due to the Coronavirus has not left India where the number of affected people has crossed 1 lakh (100,000). However, 33 percent of the total number of affected people are from Maharashtra and 20 percent of the total Indian population affected is in Mumbai.

 

Following this, BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday demanded President's Rule in the state of Maharashtra and said that it was the only way out of deal with the corona crisis. "When the sheer ineptitude and stubbornness of the government endangers the safety of people, it becomes important to seek accountability. It would be appropriate to understand that such disasters like COVID-19 are meant to be controlled in a planned manner and the planning on the local level is the total responsibility of the State Government even if one has to go as per the Disaster Management Act, 2005", he said slating his viewpoint in one of the articles published at 'Pgurus'.

It seems that the Maharashtra Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP coalition government failed to act together. Even after a rise in the number of the Coronavirus affected persons in Maharashtra, the Home Minister, Shri Anil Deshmukh failed in his role as the lockdown declared by the Central Government was not implemented in its letter and spirit. At least both these limbs of the State Government miserably failed in its duties when the slums of Dharavi and Govandi (both in Mumbai) got cases, which required strict compliance of lockdown as both the slums are densely populated, Sway slammed.

Another NCP legislator Shri Rajendra Shingne, who is the Minister of Food and Drug Administration has been a failure in performing his duty. It was this ministry to manage and arrange the medicine, PPE kits, etc. for proper check-up and screening of people suspected to be affected by Coronavirus, he added.

 

This is probably a day after BJP National President J P Nadda cornered Maharashtra CM for failure to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. "The COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra is worrying and I hope the Congress devotes it energies towards curing people rather than silencing journalists. The people of India are watching the misadventures of the Congress and will keep punishing them for its highhandedness", he tweeted.

The conditions of hospitals in Maharashtra to serve the COVID-19 affected patients are another reason for the spread of the Coronavirus. So far close to 500 medical staff/ workers including doctors have tested positive for COVID-19 and around 1000 medical workers had to be quarantined and around 20 hospitals had to be fully or partially closed. Close to 1300 police personnel have been affected by COVID-19. This clearly shows the unpreparedness of the Government in providing safety gear to even the medical workers and police personnel.

 

It is crystal clear that the State Government has failed to adhere to the communications of the Central Government in true letter and spirit which has left thousands to die and therefore, the State Government has failed to fulfill its obligation under the Constitution to protect the health and life of the citizens and accordingly this is a fit case to invoke the provisions of Article 356 by the President.