Jitan Ram Manjhi puts conditions on lockdown

Patna, April 27 (IANS) Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha head Jitan Ram Manjhi has put strict conditions on lockdown restrictions in the state.Manjhi said his party will only support the curbs if the state government ensures waiver of power charges, water bills, school fees, house rents, EMIs, among others."Nobody wants to step outside of the house at a time when there has been a rapid spread of Covid cases. For poor people, they are risking their lives for livelihood. Such a situation cannot be understood by people living in an air-conditioned room," the former Chief Minister said.Sources said that Manjhi's stand might create a strenuous situation for the Nitish Kumar government to impose a fresh lockdown in the state, on the contrary, BJP and VIP had earlier advocated for complete lockdown in the state amid the raging infections.Earlier Sanjay Jaiswal, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP state president as well as Cabinet Minister Ram Surat Rai had supported the restrictions. Jaiswal raised question over Nitish Kumar's night curfew decision, while Rai said that enforcing lockdown will break the chain of transmission.
--IANS ajk/sdr/