We helped poor during lockdown: Sunil Jakhar

Abohar, February 3

Punjab Congress former chief Sunil Jakhar today lambasted the Opposition for “impersonating” as people-friendly, claiming none of them offered help when Covid lockdown was announced.

Addressing a meeting of councillors and ward workers, he said when millions of people were stuck in uncertainty, the Congress started a 24-hour helpline at the state office and asked districts and sub-divisional units to start similar helplines for the needy.

He claimed the state government made elaborate arrangements to ferry 10 lakh migrants to their homes by trains, while the BJP government at the Centre refused to even waive their travel fare. BJP’s role was limited to playing “thali” and lighting lamps, he claimed.

Jakhar said the parties that were now promising the moon to the poor were nowhere to be seen during the lockdown period. “The (AAP) leaders who claimed to have added new dimensions to health services in Delhi could not establish a single government hospital in seven years.”

Hundreds of Covid victims died in the corridors of hospitals there due to gross failure to manage oxygen. Depressed patients from Delhi found shelter in Punjab and many lives were saved, he added. —