PM must convene All Parties’ Meet to forge consensus on fighting COVID-19: Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar

Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar has urged the Prime Minister to convene an All Parties’ Meet to forge a consensus on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. He also called upon the government to ban ‘super spreading’ events such as political rallies, religious congregations and protest movements, at least for the coming months.

Those who wilfully flout norms for checking the spread of the disease should face the consequences, but Irrational and oppressive orders should not be issued, Ashwani Kumar added.

“The raging Corona pandemic is a test of politics and leadership. History is a cruel judge and will not be forgiving if we fail the nation now. Considering its devastating consequences for the nation as a whole, the Prime Minister must convene an All Parties’ Meet to forge the broadest political consensus to meet an unprecedented challenge. It is time for political parties to shed their differences in fighting the virus,” he said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“The strength of the nation and the resilience of our democracy demands a return to politics anchored in moderation and the shunning of extremes. The smallness of our politics ill serves the nation’s capacity to meet an unprecedented challenge,” he added.

“Considering the unanimous opinion of experts, government must ban ‘super spreading’ events such as political rallies, religious congregations and protest movements, at least for the coming months,” Kumar said.

“Irrational and oppressive orders like compulsory wearing of masks even by a lone occupant of private car and discriminatory/ oppressive enforcement of norms, rob the protocols of their moral legitimacy. At the same time, citizens wilfully flouting the protective norms must suffer the consequences. The superior judiciary as custodian of our constitutional rights must take judicial notice of the aberrations and discrimination in the enforcement of laws to contain the pandemic,” he said.