<p>Two days after Congress President Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra urging him to provide free education to the children whose parents have died of Covid-19, BJP chief J P Nadda on Saturday asked party-ruled states to prepare a programme for the welfare of children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic, which will be launched on May 30 when the Modi government completes seven years in power.</p>.<p>Sonia's letter had come on May 20, a day before the 30th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated on May 21, 1991. </p>.<p>BJP's plan, however, differed and it does not entertain Gandhi's suggestion of providing education to such children at the Navodaya Vidyalayas, whose creation across the country she had recalled in her letter, as her husband and late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s legacy.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/nadda-asks-bjp-cms-to-launch-scheme-for-welfare-of-children-orphaned-by-covid-988804.html" target="_blank">Nadda asks BJP CMs to launch scheme for welfare of children orphaned by Covid</a></strong></p>.<p>BJP president J P Nadda has categorically said in the letter that the ruling party will not hold any celebratory events to mark Modi government's seventh anniversary but will celebrate the occasion by organising various welfare events, a decision that comes amid sombre mood in the nation in wake of the devastating second phase of Covid-19 that has claimed many lives and is recording more than 10 percent positivity rate in 382 districts even after a month since it started.</p>.<p>Nadda, in his letter to Chief Ministers of 12 party-ruled states, asked them to prepare a programme for the welfare of children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic instead.</p>.<p>The BJP chief's letter talks about the circumstances caused by the pandemic, which he said has caused deep wounds to the nation and society with many children losing both parents to the disease.</p>.<p>Telling the BJP chief ministers that it is now their responsibility to care for their future and take solid steps in this direction, Nadda told them that directives about a larger scheme to help such children and their families will be shared with them but they should on their own prepare a draft for the same keeping in mind the needs, situation and tradition of their states.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sonia-gandhi-writes-to-pm-seeks-free-education-for-kids-orphaned-during-pandemic-987919.html" target="_blank">Sonia Gandhi writes to PM, seeks free education for kids orphaned during pandemic</a></strong></p>.<p>"Standing by children who have lost both parents and providing them every support for their safe future is also our social responsibility... The idea is that all BJP-ruled states launch the programme together when the BJP-led government at the Centre completes seven years," he said.</p>.<p>Earlier Gandhi, in her letter to Modi, had said that children who have lost one or both parents to the pandemic are left with the trauma of loss and no support towards a stable education or future.</p>.<p>Both the Congress and BJP have latched on the issue of kids care in the middle of the second wave of Corona, which was found to have been affecting younger persons more than the first wave and apprehensions have also been expressed that the third wave of the pandemic would be more dangerous for the kids. </p>
<p>Two days after Congress President Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra urging him to provide free education to the children whose parents have died of Covid-19, BJP chief J P Nadda on Saturday asked party-ruled states to prepare a programme for the welfare of children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic, which will be launched on May 30 when the Modi government completes seven years in power.</p>.<p>Sonia's letter had come on May 20, a day before the 30th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated on May 21, 1991. </p>.<p>BJP's plan, however, differed and it does not entertain Gandhi's suggestion of providing education to such children at the Navodaya Vidyalayas, whose creation across the country she had recalled in her letter, as her husband and late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s legacy.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/nadda-asks-bjp-cms-to-launch-scheme-for-welfare-of-children-orphaned-by-covid-988804.html" target="_blank">Nadda asks BJP CMs to launch scheme for welfare of children orphaned by Covid</a></strong></p>.<p>BJP president J P Nadda has categorically said in the letter that the ruling party will not hold any celebratory events to mark Modi government's seventh anniversary but will celebrate the occasion by organising various welfare events, a decision that comes amid sombre mood in the nation in wake of the devastating second phase of Covid-19 that has claimed many lives and is recording more than 10 percent positivity rate in 382 districts even after a month since it started.</p>.<p>Nadda, in his letter to Chief Ministers of 12 party-ruled states, asked them to prepare a programme for the welfare of children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic instead.</p>.<p>The BJP chief's letter talks about the circumstances caused by the pandemic, which he said has caused deep wounds to the nation and society with many children losing both parents to the disease.</p>.<p>Telling the BJP chief ministers that it is now their responsibility to care for their future and take solid steps in this direction, Nadda told them that directives about a larger scheme to help such children and their families will be shared with them but they should on their own prepare a draft for the same keeping in mind the needs, situation and tradition of their states.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sonia-gandhi-writes-to-pm-seeks-free-education-for-kids-orphaned-during-pandemic-987919.html" target="_blank">Sonia Gandhi writes to PM, seeks free education for kids orphaned during pandemic</a></strong></p>.<p>"Standing by children who have lost both parents and providing them every support for their safe future is also our social responsibility... The idea is that all BJP-ruled states launch the programme together when the BJP-led government at the Centre completes seven years," he said.</p>.<p>Earlier Gandhi, in her letter to Modi, had said that children who have lost one or both parents to the pandemic are left with the trauma of loss and no support towards a stable education or future.</p>.<p>Both the Congress and BJP have latched on the issue of kids care in the middle of the second wave of Corona, which was found to have been affecting younger persons more than the first wave and apprehensions have also been expressed that the third wave of the pandemic would be more dangerous for the kids. </p>