Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, saying that he must apologise to the people of the country for his comments that the government had underestimated the scale of the battle against coronavirus and India is facing result of "failed lockdown".
In a series of tweets, Pradhan questioned his remarks on lockdown and said his advice "has been ignored by Congress governments".
"Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the people of the country for misleading them and indulging in baseless and motivated campaigns when the whole country is coming together to fight this invisible enemy," Pradhan said..
In another tweet, Pradhan said that the Congress leader was himself clamouring for a gradual relaxation in lockdown just 10 days ago.
"Rahul Gandhi is spreading negativity on the gradual lifting of the lockdown at a time it is most unwelcome. Ironically, just 10 days ago, when the country was in lockdown, he was clamouring for a gradual relaxation of the same," Pradhan said.
He said Gandhi had claimed, "that the lockdown is no solution to beat the coronavirus".
"Then why do people in his own party do not take him seriously? His gems of advice have been ignored by Congress govts, they are the first ones to extend the lockdown even before the Centre does," Pradhan said.
He said whether it has been a call for unity for applauding corona warriors or fighting COVID-19, the country has rallied together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Why is Rahul Gandhi so disconnected from India's mainstream? Why is he weakening India's fight against the disease?" he asked.
Gandhi had said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday that India is the only country where the virus is exponentially rising and lockdown is being removed. "India is facing the result of a failed lockdown," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )