Gehlot favours phased withdrawal of lockdown, says saving lives is important

(Eds: Updating with details)

New Delhi, Apr 7 () Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday favoured a phased withdrawal of the lockdown, saying it cannot be done immediately after the 21-day period ends.

Addressing a press conference through video conferencing, he said saving lives is important and no step should be taken that would endanger lives.

"We cannot withdraw lockdown immediately. It has to be done in a phased manner, that is what I feel," Gehlot said when asked about the right time is to lift the countrywide lockdown over coronavirus.

He said though a 21-day lockdown is a long time, saving lives is very important and the issue needs to be taken very seriously.

"We should not take such a step immediately which would endanger lives," he said.

Gehlot said it will depend on what step the central government takes and that will be known only on April 14.

"We feel that the Centre and the states are jointly making a plan after communicating with each other, as every state is in a different situation on the state of virus spread and number of cases.

"We feel the lockdown should be lifted in such a way that people do not face inconvenience and it should not be imposed again and again, as containing the virus is a big challenge before us," he noted.

Gehlot said a decision on withdrawing the lockdown in Rajasthan will, however, be taken after the recommendations of a task force set up in this regard are received.

He said the state government has set up two separate task force on how to open the lockdown and how to improve the state of the economy and bring it back on track.

The chief minister said Rajasthan has showed the way on how to contain the spread of the virus by its steps in Bhilwara, which had become a hotspot of the virus, and the same model will be replicated across the state, including in Ramganj, Jaipur.

He claimed that the state authorities reached out to six lakh households in Bhilwara and conducted widespread testing there.

Gehlot also said that Rajasthan will start rapid testing of coronavirus in the state within a week as his government has ordered 10 lakh testing kits from China which will be received soon.

He said Rajasthan is among those states which had taken the virus threat seriously and after holding extensive consultations with various stakeholders, the state prepared itself well and has been successful in containing it so far.

Gehlot also demanded a probe by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court into the Tablighi Jamaat incident, which saw the spread of virus across the country.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also said the party was not against action against Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin if they violated any rules or norms. SKC ZMN