Can’t afford lockdown, says Maharashtra Minister after CM Uddhav Thackeray’s warning

File Photo (PTI)

New Delhi: Even as the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray warned of a possible lockdown in the state again in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, several alliance leaders are not in favour of doing so.

Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik on Monday (March 29) urged CM Thackeray to consider other options as the state cannot afford another lockdown.

“We can't afford lockdown. We've asked CM to consider other options,” Malik was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Due to rising cases, he has directed administration to prepare for lockdown but that doesn't mean that lockdown is inevitable. If people follow rules, it can be avoided,” he added.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister said that the COVID-19 cases are rising because people are not following guidelines seriously that is why strict steps like lockdown are needed to be considered.

Even the opposition BJP is not in favour of another lockdown and the party said that it was not the solution.

"Lockdown is not the solution. We will protest against lockdown. If lockdown is imposed then the government should announce a package to people affected by lockdown," Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said.

Meanwhile, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Amar Sable alleged that Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has failed to control the second wave of COVID -19 in the state.

"The second wave of COVID-19 in Maharashtra has caused havoc. At this time, saving the lives of people and giving relief to the public should be the biggest priority of the government but, unfortunately, that is not happening,” Sable said.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh have reported a high number of daily new COVID-19 cases and they account for 84.5 per cent of the new infections reported in the last 24 hours.

On Sunday, Maharashtra reported 40,414 new COVID-19 cases and 108 related deaths in the last 24 hours.

According to the health ministry, India registered 68,020 new cases in the last 24 hours, out of which Maharashtra reported the highest daily new cases at 40,414, followed by Karnataka with 3,082 while Punjab reported 2,870 new cases. With 3,27,241 active cases in Maharashtra, the state is the worst-affected in the country.