BJD Reaction to Demand for COVID-19 testing of all migrant workers by BJP

Bhubaneswar : Earlier in the day, Harichandan alleged that the Odisha Government is not conducting test of all migrants returning to the state using ICMR guidelines as an excuse. The ICMR guidelines never say that state Government cannot conduct more number of COVID-19 tests.

In response to this statement of BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan’s ruling party BJD said the saffron party should stop playing cheap politics during these testing times.

In counterpart BJD spokesperson Dr. Sasmit Patra said “BJP should at least believe the guidelines laid down by their party Government, the Health Ministry and the ICMR. The guidelines state that testing of symptomatic persons should only be done. The situation in Odisha is under control and testing is being done as per ICMR guidelines.”

He said that around 1 crore migrants have returned to BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, Patra said BJP and its Spokespersons do not have the moral courage to ask their party CMs in those states to undertake 100 % testing of all migrants.

“Why these double standards? When about 30-40 lakh tests have so far been done in India, do the BJP-ruled states have the capacity to test close to one crore migrant returnee?,” the BJD Spokesperson questioned.