BJP Slams Mizoram For Creating Separate COVID Care Centre For VIPs

The Mizoram government's decision to set up a separate COVID Care Centre for VIPs testing positive for coronavirus on Wednesday drew criticism from the BJP, which said the state government was promoting "VIP culture" at a time when the Centre was making efforts to do away with the practice.

The state government on Tuesday issued an order designating a 28-bedded new MLA hostel in state capital Aizawl as COVID-19 Care Centre for treating VIPs diagnosed with the virus.

Accusing the Mizo National Front (MNF) government of being "biased" in its treatment towards officials and important persons, the BJP said in a statement that its lone legislator, Dr BD Chakma, who tested positive for the virus Sunday, was shifted to Zora Medical Centre (ZMC) where he is undergoing treatment with other patients.

ZMC in Aizawl is the only dedicated COVID hospital in the state.

Although the MNF is part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), but BJP is not a part of the Zoramthanga government in the state.

"It is very unfortunate that Mizoram is dealing with a 'biased' government which is keen on showing partiality towards people, who are on good term with the MNF party," the statement said.

The party also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and many MPs when diagnosed with the contagion were not treated in specially arranged COVID-19 Care Centres but in the normal hospitals.

Stating that setting up of special centre for the VIP patients will only result in wastage of public money at a time when the state is reeling under financial crisis, the BJP asked the state government to reverse its decision.

Mizoram on Wednesday reported 12 new coronavirus cases, pushing the state's tally of infections to 1,480.

According to rules, symptomatic patients and those with co-morbid conditions are being treated at ZMC while asymptomatic patients have been admitted at COVID Care Centres.

However, the state government on Tuesday issued home isolation guidelines allowing asymptomatic and very mild symptomatic, infected patients to stay under home isolation provided they have requisite facilities at home to avoid contact with other family members.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)