New Delhi (ILNS): A petition filed in the Supreme Court, asking for an independent inquiry by a commission into the Central Government’s “gross mismanagement” of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, has been dismissed.
The plea was filed by six retired bureaucrats and was moved through Advocate Prashant Bhushan.
Bhushan argued that the reason for seeking a commission of inquiry was for four reasons. They are broadly as follows, he said.
“Despite warning from the WHO and despite an advisory issued against crowd contacts till March 4, 1 lakh people gathered in a stadium on February 24.
“The home ministry had advised not to conduct such gatherings. The experts had advised a total lockdown in the county.
“In the lockdown there has been a 24 percent decline in GDP and 7 percentage of the people lost their jobs.
“We have not been able to control the Covid and our economy has been shattered.
“Lockdown was imposed without consulting experts. That exercise was not done.
We have not maintained any data as on who are the doctors and many healthcare professionals who died. Two crore people have lost their jobs. No planning was done prior to lockdown. How they will travel and how many people died due to the ill management of the situation.”
Justice L. Nageswara Rao said later: “This is a matter of public debate, but the court cannot go into this. The government has to be given latitude. It is a matter of opinion. Nobody knew this would happen.”
He added: “Sorry, we are not inclined to pass any order. Petition dismissed.”
-ILNS