Centre ready to provide all assistance to Maharashtra to fight COVID-19: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi [India], June 8 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that the Centre is ready to provide all assistance to Maharashtra to fight COVID-19 and further targeted the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state for its "incapability" to handle the crisis.
He also raised the issue of Bollywood actor Sonu Sood being targeted for helping workers stranded in Maharashtra in returning to their native places during the lockdown
"We are ready to provide all assistance to the Maharashtra government to fight COVID-19. Maharashtra government should see how Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka governments contained COVID-19. Isn't it fair to say that the COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra shows the government's incapability? I saw on TV that actor Sonu Sood, who is helping stranded workers in this crisis, is being criticised," Singh said at the 'Maharashtra Jan-Samvad Rally' being held through video conferencing.
Singh also raised the issue of Shramik Special trains, which are being operated to send stranded workers to their native places. He said that such trains were being delayed from Maharashtra during the lockdown.
Cornering the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray led state government over the issue, Singh said, "We ensured that the poor don't have to go through hardships during the lockdown. Our trains were ready to take migrant workers to their home states but they faced hardships due to lack of cooperation from Maharashtra government."
He also attacked the Congress over the statement issued by Wayanad MP and party leader Rahul Gandhi, in which he had claimed that his party was not a 'decision-maker' in Maharashtra and was just supporting the government from outside.
"Rahul Gandhi had said that Congress is not a key decision-maker in Maharashtra. What does this mean? Are they washing their hands off their responsibility at this time? This is nothing new, 'power without responsibility' is their character," Singh said.