Those who condemned COVID lockdown have realised its importance: Shekhawat

Only shops and offices providing essential services will open during the 15-day period They are realising the importance of the lockdown but are not able to take any decision, Shekhawat said in an apparent reference to the restrictions.Shekhawat, who was in Jodhpur on Monday after campaigning in West Bengal, held a review meeting with officials and medical experts.

In an apparent swipe at the Rajasthan government, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday said those who condemned the nationwide coronavirus lockdown last year have realised its importance but they are not being able to take a decision on it.

The minister said this a day after the state government imposed lockdown-like curbs from Monday but called the measures a "Jan Anushasan Pakhwada'' (public discipline fortnight). The Rajasthan government ordered the closure of offices and markets from Monday to May 3 under it. Only shops and offices providing essential services will open during the 15-day period "They are realising the importance of the lockdown but are not able to take any decision," Shekhawat said in an apparent reference to the restrictions.

Shekhawat, who was in Jodhpur on Monday after campaigning in West Bengal, held a review meeting with officials and medical experts. Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tweet stating that he has decided to cancel all his rallies in West Bengal in view of a surge in coronavirus cases, the minister said, "I want to know how many rallies he had there and how many had to be held." "What does he wants to gain from dropping what was not scheduled to happen," he said, taking a jibe at Gandhi. When asked about his party's rallies, Shekhawat said they have been complying with directions of the Election Commission. But he was quick to add that West Bengal had less cases compared with staggering numbers in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and UP.