Sanjay Raut calls for two-day special session of Parliament to discuss COVID-19 surge

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday called for convening a special session of Parliament for at least two days to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the country. Follow LIVE updates on COVID-19 Terming the COVID-19 situation as “unprecedented and almost war-like”, Raut said he held discussions with some key leaders from across the country on Sunday over the issue and all of them were of the view that the situation is “serious”. “It’s an unprecedented & almost a war like situation. Utmost confusion & tension everywhere! No beds, no oxygen & no vaccination as well ! It’s nothing but TOTAL CHAOS !” the Rajya Sabha member tweeted.

Interacting with reporters here, Raut, without taking any names, claimed that some states hid the actual the number of COVID-19 cases. “The practice of hiding numbers has now stopped in some states. Now only lighting up of funeral pyres can be seen at places in some states after explosion of (the practice of) hiding (numbers),” he said. The Shiv Sena leader claimed there will be “anarchy” if the COVID-19 cases continue to go up, the number of cases are hidden and the governments are unable to control the present situation. Reacting to Raut’s comments, Maharashtra BJP’s chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye pitched for convening a special session of the Assembly first as the state grapples with the COVID-19 crisis. “@rautsanjay61 ji you have perfectly described situation in Maharashtra. So call special assembly session first to discuss the situation,” Upadhye tweeted.