Bhilwara’s Devriya village Sarpanch, Kismat Gurjar, released a video and has hit out at Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi for attributing Bhilwara’s successful action plan, now famously called as the ‘Bhilwara Model’, to contain the deadly Coronavirus, which has ensured that the district hasn’t reported a single new coronavirus case in 10 days, to Congress member and son Rahul Gandhi.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Kismat Gurjar, said that she is hurt because Sonia Gandhi, instead of giving credit for the successful implementation of the drive to local authorities and people of the district she is attributing it to her son or the Congress led-state government. She added that PM Modi’s appeal has immensely inspired the district, which has worked together as one force to eradicate the pandemic from their village and they are the ones who should be given the credit.

“The way Soniaji has praised and credited Rahulji for Bhilwara’s success in tackling the crisis has hurt me. Today what is being called the ‘Bhilwara model’ actually the farmers, women, local people and local authorities are behind its success. That determination and discipline locals have shown is the reason behind this success, but for long the state government is trying to take credit for this. And today, Rahul is being praised, which is hurtful”.

She furthers that the people of the entire district are really inspired by PM Modi’s appeal. They have abided strictly to his lockdown and social distancing orders. They have also maintained proper hygiene.

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Read: 5 point agenda suggested by Sonia Gandhi, President of Congress, to fight Coronavirus: Juvenile, disconnected and petty

“This is not the time to play petty politics but a time when everyone should work watchfully and patiently in complete unison”, said Kismat Gurjar.

Earlier also, Gurjar had shared a video of herself sanitizing her village. “Doctors and police personnel are engaged in saving the country from corona infection, so why should I stay behind”? Comparing herself to the squirrel which helped Lord Sri Rama build the bridge to Lanka in Ramayan, she said that she has tried to make a small contribution.

Credit it to a strict lockdown, strategic containment plan, or committed healthcare work, the Bhilwara district in Rajasthan, till recently an emerging hotspot of coronavirus infections, has not reported any new coronavirus infections in the last 10 days.

Acting Congress President had claimed that Rahul Gandhi’s timely intervention had prevented the coronavirus outbreak spreading in Bhilwara.

The Print had reported on April 10 that Sonia Gandhi said in the Congress meeting with state Congress chiefs that it was Rahul’s timely intervention that helped Bhilwara tackle spread of coronavirus in the district.

The report published by ThePrint on April 10

By the end of March, Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district was on the cusp of a large-scale outbreak of the novel coronavirus. However, since March 30, Bhilwara witnessed a turnaround in the number of cases. The city has so far not reported any new case in the past 10 days. The credit of which can go to the administration headed by Rajendra Bhatt and his team that comprises IAS officer Tina Dabi.

A ‘ruthless containment’ strategy, timely action, comprehensive screening and strict enforcement of curfew and lockdown restrictions helped Bhilwara immensely. Notably, Bhilwara had issued a total lockdown days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued the 21-day lockdown.

Lockdown restrictions, which were place since March 20, were tightened to curfew-like levels from April 3. Between March 20 and April 2, stores selling essential commodities were allowed to stay open. However, on April 3 even these stores were ordered shut and only home delivery of essentials is currently allowed. And, nobody is permitted to venture out of their homes without prior permission.

According to the health department, more than 6,50,000 homes and 24 lakh people were screened in urban and rural Bhilwara, covering everybody in the district, making it an unprecedented exercise in healthcare.

In the last 10 days, Bhilwara has seen no new case of the novel coronavirus, rescuing the district from an unimaginable disaster. Such has been the district’s success that the central government has advised other similar affected areas of the country to learn and implement the strategies employed by the Bhilwara district.