Coronavirus | Centre making conflicting statements on lockdown: Mamata Banerjee

‘If you open shops, how would you enforce the lockdown? I think the Centre should come out with a clarification’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses from inside her car to make people aware of the novel coronavirus, during the ongoing nationwide lockdown, in Kolkata, Friday, April 24, 2020.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Centre was making contradictory statements on enforcement of the lockdown, and wanted greater clarity on the recent Union Home Ministry order on reopening shops.

Claiming that many States were not allowed to speak during prime minister Narendra Modi’s video conference with chief ministers owing to the rotation system, Ms. Banerjee said given a chance she would have raised several questions, including the need to send central teams to Bengal.

“The Centre is making conflicting statements on lockdown. There is no clarity. We are in favour of lockdown.

“But the Centre on one hand emphasises on enforcement of the lockdown, and on other hand it issues order to open shops.

“If you open shops, how would you enforce the lockdown? I think the Centre should come out with a clarification,” Ms. Banerjee said.