'Covid-19 Situation in UP so Bad that Dozen Ministers, MLAs Infected': Akhilesh Yadav's Dig at Yogi Govt

Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav sharpened his attack at Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state over the coronavirus situation.

The SP chief alleged that the situation in the state was so grim that around a dozen ministers and MLAs were infected, while one cabinet minister had also succumbed to the disease.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, Akhilesh Yadav said, "...A cabinet minister has died tragically, what medical facilities has the BJP government developed in three-and-a-half years? The officers of the chief minister or his team should tell that which medical colleges are being used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients? All the medical colleges in the state were made during the Samajwadi government. The BJP government did not set up a single medical college.”

Akhilesh added that the coronavirus pandemic was left uncontrolled which has resulted in people feeling scared.

"For five consecutive months, families have been troubled by many restrictions; hundreds have been forced to commit suicide. Children's schools and colleges are also closed. Patients in hospitals are facing difficulties to get treatment in OPD. Even serious patients have to wait for hours for treatment. The system of coronavirus investigation has also collapsed,” Akhilesh Yadav alleged.

Further attacking the government on the issue, the former chief minister said that people who are engaged in frontline Covid-19 work are themselves getting affected.

"In Gorakhpur, there are complaints of health workers not getting food. In Bareilly, there are charges of corruption in the purchase of sanitizers. The patients at the quarantine centre in Badaun are suffering from hunger,” he said.

As per the latest figures released by the state's health department, 4,658 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday along with 63 fatalities. The total number of COVID-19 cases, meanwhile, has reached 1,08,974 while the deaths have mounted to 1,918. So far, 63,402 people have been discharged from hospitals while there are 43,654 active cases in the state.

The SP leader blamed BJP for the plight of the people and said that while the chief minister made statements, it appeared that they were not being followed at the ground level. "The government is not focused on dealing with the disease," he said.