Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray recently gave an interview to Shiv Sena leader and Executive Editor of ‘Saamana’ Sanjay Raut and clarified that he was not in favour to completely lift the lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Thackeray was responding to queries put forward by Raut in which the latter asked the Chief Minister about the lifting of lockdown saying that people are fed up and bored of restrictions.
The Chief Minister said, "the statewide lockdown has been imposed to control the coronavirus outbreak. It was never meant to address the boredom of people. It is not like that once people get fed up the lockdown should be lifted. Who will take responsibility if the lockdown is hastily lifted and people die (due to COVID-19)?"
Thackeray further said that the government has started to reopen things gradually but it was necessary to take decisions keeping in mind the issues related to health and economy.
“It is important to understand the issue of lockdown amid a pandemic. The countries which lifted the lockdown early had to impose it again. The coronavirus pandemic is the bitter truth. There are those who oppose the lockdown say that it is affecting the economy. I am ready to lift the lockdown, but would such people take responsibility if people die?” the Chief Minister said during the interview.
The government is trying to solve problems one by one (in a staggered manner) and it shouldn’t be shut once it is reopened, Thackeray said while adding that it was important to create a balance between the health and economy and take steps in accordingly.
The Maharashtra government has started to ease lockdown restrictions under the ‘Mission Begin Again’ since June. However, due to the increasing cases in some parts of the state, especially the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), certain restrictions to movements of people still remain.
“I am not Donald Trump. I can’t see people before me,” he said while distancing himself from the approach of opening everything at once or in haste.
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