DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday urged the AIADMK government to explain the reasons for the steep increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the State if its claims of no community transmission was true, and its plan of action to flatten the curve, especially in Chennai.
Addressing a virtual press conference, Mr. Stalin also demanded that the government release the reports submitted by various committees constituted to curb the spread of the virus and to look into the discrepancies in the COVID-19 deaths data. He said the DMK will approach the courts if the government does not release the true data on deaths due to COVID-19 within the next two days.
Countering the Health Secretary’s claim that the mismatch in the tally of deaths was due to a ‘procedural lapse’, Mr. Stalin asked how officials could be unfamiliar with reporting mechanisms even after 85 days of the lockdown. “Data mismanagement of this scale cannot be possible unless the government at the highest level is complicit,” Mr. Stalin charged.
“Until when does the government plan to dupe people that they are finding solutions to the problem without putting forth reports of committees in public domain?” Mr. Stalin asked. He also said it was after the questions raised by the DMK regularly that the government has taken most of the decisions, including the cancellations of the 10th standard board exams.
The DMK president questioned the Chief Minister as to why the government was continuously refusing to collaborate with opposition parties, experts and relevant stakeholders. “When will the government take a pre-emptive approach regarding budgetary re-allocations, economic revival, or unemployment that COVID-19 has caused,” he further asked.
