Covid-19: India may overtake America, says Siddaramaiah

India’s Covid-19 situation is so bad that the number of cases might exceed that of the US, Karnataka’s leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said Saturday.

“When it comes to the coronavirus, the country’s situation is bad. Going forward, we might overtake America,” Siddaramaiah said during a meeting of senior Congress leaders to discuss a strategy on attacking the BJP government in the state and centre. “The government isn’t spending even 1% of the GDP to contain the virus.”

The Congress has repeatedly attacked the BS Yediyurappa administration in the state on its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crisis brought about by the lockdown. “Both governments at the state and centre have failed. By not providing sufficient funds to manage the situation, both governments have cheated citizens,” Siddaramaiah said.

Hitting out at the Centre for the country’s economic difficulties, which he said was already bad, Siddaramaiah blamed the government’s “failure” had resulted in a paralysis of the situation.

“The government’s package has not reached farmers and other communities till now. During the lockdown, if people had been given money in their hands, they’d not have faced hardship,” he said.

The Congress has already announced a statewide protest on June 29 against the “anti-citizen” policies of the BJP governments in the state and centre, including the rise in fuel prices. “In the last six years, there’s information that the Centre has collected Rs 18 lakh crore by way of duty hike on petrol and diesel. With global crude oil prices having plummeted, petrol and diesel should have been sold around at Rs 25,” the former chief minister said.

The Congress will also fight the BJP over its decision to amend the APMC law to allow private markets and allowing non-agriculturists to purchase and own farm lands.

“It’s inevitable for us to intensify our fight to make the fat-skinned Centre and state governments feel the heat,” Siddaramaiah said.