Industrialist Ravi Bajaj has raised serious questions on the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Indian government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the managing director of Bajaj Auto said that the faulty government policies ended up destroying the economy.
He said, “You’ve 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 worlds.”
Bajaj also questioned the government’s policies on lockdown. Replying to a question from Gandhi on his company’s preparations as the government announced the easing of restrictions, Bajaj said, “I would disagree with the question because you are saying that ‘we are opening up.’ But I don’t think we are opening up. Because today one supplier opens, but the zone where his firm is located, reports two COVID-19 positive cases tomorrow then he’s forced to shut his business.”
Bajaj continued, “Today one supplier opens his business. His employees go to nearby bus stops to travel to the office but goons belonging to local MLA/MLC reach there to bash them up. I am not seeing a rhythmic, concerted and smooth efforts towards unlocking.”
Bajaj said that India should have followed the ‘right-of-centre’ approach’ something that Japan adopted, adding that messaging about the virus. “I think the blame for this again rests with the kind of fear we created in the first place that infection is equal to death.” he added.
More than 6,000 people have died of coronavirus with the death toll rising alarmingly towards the latter part of the prolonged lockdown. This, according to experts, shows that the lockdown had failed in India.
