Congress launches online campaign to press for Rs 4 lakh compensation for kin of COVID-19 deceased

PTI, Dec 4, 2021, 3:18 PM IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched on Saturday the party’s online campaign demanding compensation for the families of those who died of COVID-19 and accused the central government of sleeping on the pain and loss of people.

”When it comes to people’s pain and loss, the Government of India is sleeping. Let’s wake them up,” Gandhi said on Twitter while launching the ”#SpeakUpforCovidNyay” campaign.

On its official Twitter handle, the Congress party said the aim of the campaign was to demand that the central government disclose the actual number of Covid deaths in the country, and ”properly compensate all families of the victims with Rs 4 lakh”.

The Modi government has very tactfully tried to cover up its failures in managing the COVID-19 pandemic by distorting the number of Covid deaths, the party alleged.

”#SpeakUpForCovidNyay so the govt is forced to disclose the correct number of Covid deaths,” it said.

”By making up false numbers, the Modi government is not only withholding compensation for lakhs of families, but it is simply trying to cover up its failure in managing and controlling the pandemic,” the party said.

Congress said that under the disaster management guidelines, the government is required to compensate the families of COVID-19 victims with Rs 4 lakh.

”The Modi government has carefully tried to wriggle its way out of compensating the fair amount and is trying to settle compensation of a meagre amount of Rs 50,000,” it alleged.

Several state Congress units and leaders across the country put out videos in support of the online campaign and to press the government for providing compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the COVID-19 deceased.

The party has raised the demand in Parliament too.