Covid-19 and governance: End the political lockdown and summon Parliament

It would be a great disservice to Indian democracy if the peoples' representatives failed to advise the government during this crisis

The long shadow cast by the coronavirus pandemic calls for a national mobilisation across party lines. Effective strategies for recovery cannot be left to the government alone, especially when it is evident that its shambolic policy measures have repeatedly failed to either control the pandemic or redress its consequences.

The government is unwilling to listen to political criticism of the avoidable hardships imposed on the most vulnerable citizens. It has dismissed questions raised by opposition leaders as mere politicking. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman thus accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of being a dramebaaz when he interacted with returning migrant workers