'Citizen' Mamata wants lockdown lifted '2 weeks after May 4'

The total rollback of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown should happen in two weeks after May 4, said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (April 23), adding that the lifting of the restrictions should be done in three phases.

According to NDTV, the chief minister said she would share her opinion on the lifting of the lockdown only when asked during the scheduled video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27 “if that came up on the agenda”.

But as a citizen and the chief of the Trinamool Congress, Banerjee told NDTV, she wants the lockdown to be scaled back and that it should be lifted in three phases. “Lift 25 per cent of lockdown in week beginning May 4, reopen 50 per cent in second week after May 4, and total roll back should happen in two weeks after May 4,” she said.

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However, she opined flights and rail operations, especially long-distance trains, should remain suspended. She said focused intervention should also continue in the virus hotspots. We have handled dengue outbreaks of 30,000 to 40,000 people, she said, exuding confidence that the state is equipped to fight the pandemic.

So far, 456 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported across West Bengal, including 15 deaths, according to the Union health ministry’s recent figures. But the state’s figures have been contradicting that of the Union government, which has termed the pandemic situation in many parts of the state as “especially serious”.

‘I’m elected, you’re nominated’

The rift between Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is well known. And that widened on Thursday with Banerjee writing a letter to Dhankhar, accusing him of repeatedly interfering in the functioning of the state administration.

This comes in the backdrop of Dhankhar repeatedly voicing concern over the way the state government has been tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a strongly worded five-page letter to the governor, Banerjee said Dhankhar has forgotten she is the “elected chief minister of a proud Indian state” whereas he is a nominated governor.

“You have to judge for yourself, whether your direct attacks on me, my ministers, officers, your tone, tenor and language, which in mildest words of extreme moderation, deserve to be characterised as parliamentary, your holding press conferences against the state government of which you are a governor, your repeated and consistent interference in the administration of my ministries make it clear as to who has flagrantly transgressed constitutional dharma…” she wrote.

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Banerjee claimed the governor’s conduct does not conform to even basic norms of decency between constitutional functionaries.

Dhankhar was quick to respond, tweeting, “A communication @MamataOfficial has been received. Outrageously factually wrong and constitutionally infirm. Recognised Non Resident Bengali Doctors have in an eye opener representation flagged concern? @MamataOfficial in COVID 19 battle. Worrisome issues flagged 1. Gross under- testing in West Bengal, and 2. Misreporting of data on the cause of death in COVID-19 patients,” he said in an earlier tweet.

Dhankhar has been at loggerheads with the TMC government over a number of issues since assuming charge in July last year.

(With inputs from agencies)