Nabadwip, April 16: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that her party would appeal the Election Commission of India not to allow entry to the ‘outsiders’ without the ‘compulsory’ negative RTPCR test report, while accusing the BJP that the ‘outsider’, the party have brought to organise rallies contributed to the fresh surge in the Covid positive cases.
Speaking at a public meeting in support of party candidate Pundarikakshya Saha (Nanda) in Nabadwip, she alleged that the BJP has been bringing “outsiders” in huge numbers in connection with the poll campaign and even for erecting pandals for Narendra Modi’s public meetings. “These ‘outsiders’ contributing behind the surge in the Covid cases in the state”, she said.
“People from outside states which are worst hit by a fresh spate of Covid have been coming to Bengal to erect pandals for Prime Minister’s public meetings. These people are spreading Covid here leaving our people in danger. We would appeal the ECI to ensure that whoever comes from an outside state, should get the RTPCR test done first and enter the state with a negative certificate”.
“Nobody should be allowed to enter prior to this test”, Mamata said while asking people to use masks as a life-saving accessory.
Blaming the centre for negligence, she said, “There was a drop in the Covid cases. There was no such spike during the last five or six months. During the time Narendra Modi could have administered the vaccine to the people well. They knew that Covid would continue for two years. But they did not vaccinate people in large, rather contributed behind the spike by bringing in the outsiders”.