Then Cong govt busy with IIFA at onset of outbreak: Indore MP

BJP Lok Sabha MP from Indore Shankar Lalwani on Sunday said the previous Congress government in Madhya Pradesh was responsible for the region being the worst hit in the state by the coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 count in Indore is 3,008, including 114 deaths.

Lalwani said the Kamal Nath government was preparing for two International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) events, one in Bhopal and the other in Indore, instead of taking steps to prevent an outbreak. "When the Centre alerted the then MP government about the pandemic, the latter was busy preparing for an IIFA event in Indore scheduled in the end of March. The Indore BJP at the time had asked for adequate number of doctors to fight the virus outbreak," Lalwani told PTI.

"However, the Kamal Nath government was busy making hotel arrangements for Bollywood stars who were to attend the IIFA event," Lalwani alleged. Nath stepped down as MP CM on March 20 following a revolt by 22 MLAs.

On March 23, a BJP government under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was formed. Indore reported its first set of COVID-19 cases on March 24, when four people tested positive for the infection.

Lockdown was imposed in Indore on March 25..

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