Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday frowned at a social media campaign to honour him, telling his well-wishers that if this plan was out of goodwill for him, people should take responsibility for at least one poor family.
In two tweets, PM Modi said he had been told about a campaign to honour him by standing for five minutes. “At first glance, it sounds mischievous to drag Modi into controversies,” he said. There have been a series of posts on Twitter, which called for “a standing ovation by clapping for five minutes” for PM Modi on April 12 at 5 pm.
But if it is out of goodwill and love for him, PM Modi said, he would rather have people take up the responsibility for one poor family as long the coronavirus crisis exists.
“There would be no greater honour for me than this,” PM Modi tweeted on Wednesday, shortly after his video conference with political parties on the Covid-19 challenge.
People working in the unorganised sector and the marginalised sections have been hit the hardest by the nationwide lockdown ordered by the central government to slow down the coronavirus disease from spreading. Tens of thousands of people, migrant labourers and others, headed back to their villages from cities in the days after the lockdown was ordered. In many cases, people said they had difficulties feeding their families because of the employment opportunities that disappeared when the country, and the economy came to a halt.
Soon after, the government stepped up opening of relief camps and community kitchens to feed the poor. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Centre told the judges that the 54 lakh people had been given food since the lockdown started. Another 30 lakh were being fed by NGOs.
Employers and factory owners were giving shelter and food to another 15 lakh people.
An additional 60,000 people had taken refuge at relief camps, mostly by the nonprofit sector. The number of relief camps and shelters run by various governments is 22,567 and by NGOs 3,909, the affidavit said.
