Bengaluru: As expected, Hardik Patel, a known Modi critic has resorted to fearmongering as India efficiently fights coronavirus pandemic under PM Modi’s leadership. 

In his tweet, he said, “There are 81 crore people under poverty line in India. According to the United Nations, India will be pushed back by 10 years due to lockdown & 10 crore people will become poor. 68% of India's total population will be poor. Is Government ready to face the new epidemic.” 

 

But a UN trade report had said something contradictory to this. It has said, “The world economy will go into recession this year with a predicted loss of trillions of dollars of global income due to the coronavirus pandemic, spelling serious trouble for developing countries with the likely exception of India and China. Even so, the world economy will go into recession this year with a predicted loss of global income in trillions of dollars. This will spell serious trouble for developing countries, with the likely exception of China and the possible exception of India.”

In his videoconference, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had said, “India is estimated to have the highest growth among G20 countries and is amongst the handful of countries to have positive GDP growth as per International Monetary Fund (IMF).” 

Meanwhile, several states have decided to extend lockdown and not relax lockdown rules in order to further suppress the spread of the virus. 

Though Kerala decided to loosen a bit, the Union home ministry has expressed its unhappiness over the move. CM Pinarayi Vijayan is now holding a meeting to review the situation. 

The first extension to the April 14 lockdown was given by PM Modi and it runs till May 3. The PM has urged everyone to follow lockdown rules in order to keep the society safe and sound.