Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised the Narendra Modi government’s plan to build Central Vista in the national Capital, asking what use would be changing the map of Delhi be when people are struggling to survive and the dead don’t get last rites with their bodies floating in Ganga. The Sena leader also said the country was running “Ram bharose”, taking potshots at the Centre’s handling of the Covid-19 situation. “The situation in the country is so bad, what will you do by changing the map of Delhi? People in the country are struggling to survive...people are asking what is the need for Central Vista, new parliament [house] or new Prime Minister’s residence?” he asked, even as he pointed out that Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has stopped the work on the state’s Vidhan Sabha and diverted the funds for Covid-19 management.

Raut’s statement comes a day after 12 Opposition leaders, including Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, DMK chief MK Stalin, and NCP president Sharad Pawar, wrote to Prime Minister Modi to stop the work on Central Vista project and divert the fund to fight Covid-19. The Sena MP also added though the country has a Prime Minister, a home minister and a health minister, but they aren’t seen at the forefront of Covid management. “There is a government, administration, prime minister and health minister but the deaths due Covid-19 are increasing, several corpses are floating in the Ganga from Varanasi to Patna...the PM and home minister are on the chair but they need to be seen.”