Congress.

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for being โ€œsuperficialโ€.

The APCC cited as an example the inauguration of BJPโ€™s mandal office at Sagalee by overlooking the lockdown and standard operating procedures (SoPs) released by the state government.

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โ€œWhen there is continued rise of Covid-19 cases in the state, BJP state president Biyuram Wahge ignored the strict guidelines on mask-wearing and social distancing by grouping and crowding during the programme,โ€ APCC general secretary Mina Toko said in a statement.

The Congress also took a dig at Wahgeโ€™s โ€œchildishโ€ statement that โ€œit is difficult to maintain social distancing at tribal stateโ€ when states like Mizoram and Sikkim are successfully following the SoPs.

โ€œSuch irrationality explains the failure of the BJP-ruled government in Arunachal Pradesh. It has also exposed how the BJP government has failed to check the spread of Covid-19,โ€ Toko said, asking the government to make it clear if gearing up for polls was more important than peopleโ€™s health.

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The APCC also criticised the Chief Minister Pema Khandu government for ignoring developmental work, endorsing black-marketing and turning a blind eye to price rise.

โ€œThe pandemic is a pause button for the state government to improve health infrastructure, increase ventilator-equipped beds, good quality PPEs and safety of frontline workers, ensure insurance for health workers and distribute essential commodities to remote and border areas besides cross-checking the utilisation of CM Care or relief funds for Covid-10,โ€ Toko said.

The state government should focus on making ventilators available instead of going for mass political movement in view of two Covid-19 deaths, she said.

Calls made to Wahge were not answered.

Damien Lepcha is Northeast Now Correspondent in Arunachal Pradesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]