In war-like Covid situation, Govt moving ahead with agenda

New Delhi:  Even when the country has been put under a battle-ready situation in the background of the Covid-19 pandemic,   the Modi government appears to be moving ahead with its agenda including that of crushing the anti-citizenship law protests and the Ram temple construction. 

The Central government also blessed the inauguration of the Ram temple construction by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath,  in violation of curfew slapped by the central government.   The Centre is apparently not only ignoring its own fiats about social gatherings,  but in fact even using the cover of curbs to further its own agenda.

An illustration of the government's move is the carefully planned and executed dismantling of the protest tents in different parts of Delhi including Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia,  all done on a war footing.   Delhi Police had issued on Monday evening itself the directives to the relative police stations to demolish the protest tents and to be prepared to face any riot-like situation.

The direction given was that the citizenship protesters were violating the lockdown and therefore the forces should reach the sites by seven on Tuesday morning.   Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava had already held discussions with the Joint Commissioners about removing the roadblocks.  

Following this,  the police who arrived at the sites of Shaheen Bagh,  Nizamuddin,  Hauz Rani,  Turkman Gate,  Seelampur on Monday evening, and asked the protesters to remove the tents. Although some officers asked them to remove them at midnight on Monday itself,  later an understanding was reached that they would be removed Tuesday morning.

By this time,  victims of the recent racial violence in Delhi who were expelled from the Idgah camp - which was closed by the Delhi Government  - approached voluntary bodies for food,   but their movement was blocked by Delhi police citing the curfew.  They insisted that the volunteers,  who had approval from Delhi government,  also should obtain curfew pass.  But when many  approached the police for passes,  the same was denied.  Following this,  the voluntary outfits got in touch with the home ministry,  which again drew a blank. 

But none of such restrictions prevented the Modi government from the construction activities for Ram temple at the site where Babri masjid was demolilshed.   The prime minister himself made a tweet offering greetings for the function conducted by UP chief minister, flouting all curfew curbs.