Congress.

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for being “superficial”.

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

“When 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,” APCC general secretary Mina Toko said in a statement.

The Congress also took a dig at Wahge’s “childish” statement that “it is difficult to maintain social distancing at tribal state” when states like Mizoram and Sikkim are successfully following the SoPs.

“Such 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,” Toko said, asking the government to make it clear if gearing up for polls was more important than people’s health.

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.

“The 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,” 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]