BC POLITICS
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IMP 🚨 INVESTIGATION

India's lockdown was called world's largest, strictest etc. @ BBC, we wanted to know how the govt planned it.

So, what're we looking at?

Govt docs that reveal every department/agency who was consulted by PM Modi before imposing #lockdown.

#Thread

 How did we access the docs? Well, for months my colleague Arjun Parmar and I filed RTI applications with the relevant govt depts - State & Centre. Hundreds in fact. We then filed appeals, then filed second appeals..phew!
Background - this day last year, India had less than 600 cases and nine deaths. Some European & Latin American nations (with way higher numbers) had imposed lockdowns.

China, with thousands of deaths and cases by March 2020, never imposed a national lockdown.
One more thing - India started monitoring and preparing it's response to coronavirus from January 8, 2020. It was repeatedly mentioned that none other than PM was personally leading the effort.

Let's start with what we've got now.
India's lockdown was imposed by an @ndmaindia order. Who heads NDMA? Prime Minister.

So we asked NDMA - who all were consulted before lockdown? Also, how many NDMA meetings did the PM attend? Their response.

NIL to both. Yes, NIL.
Coming to @PMOIndia - our RTI applications were met with little or no info. A clause that is not even an exemption clause was used to not give info. We're contesting these decisions and shall see how it goes.

Am giving you an example below 👇
Like the PMO, so many key ministries/depts chose to transfer our RTI applications directed at THEM to the @HMOIndia - including @rashtrapatibhvn @MoHFW_INDIA @AgriGoI & @ICMRDELHI.
Coming to key economic ministries like @minmsme @MoCA_GoI @GST_Council @rsprasad - they said they had no information on consultations.

@FinMinIndia depts transferred our apps to MHA. But when MHA sent them all back, admitted it had no info on consultations.
What about specialist bodies like @RBI, SEBI, @NCDCgov or Dept of Military Affairs (remember domains of disaster management, AFMS doctors etc)?

They had no information on consultations.

In fact, nothing to show they were EVEN INFORMED before lockdown.
To state administrations now.

CMs/Govs from Assam, Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, UP, DONER (centre's bridge to North East) all of them had nothing to show they knew.

*UP CMO threw our application out when it was asked about its own prep and info.
Remember migrant workers crisis?

Over 1 crore workers had to return home post lockdown.

@LabourMinistry could not produce ONE DOCUMENT to show it had given any suggestions/foreseen the crisis/provided means to avert it - before the lockdown came.
.@NITIAayog's @RajivKumar1 told my colleague Nidhi Rai that @narendramodi 'consulted everyone' before lockdown.

Proof?

Well even NiTi Aayog's own documents don't support what Rajiv Kumar is saying.

We asked them TWICE.
Four days before the #lockdown - PM met CMs.

In the release issued afterwards, we found no mention of the word 'lockdown'. When we asked PMO if the topic was even broached, no information was provided. @HMOIndia asked us to see the press release again.
From Jan to March 2020, I located many bold pronouncements by Modi govt.

It was claimed India had adequate PPEs, isolation beds, masks. Then, on Feb 22, 2020 - 2 days before Trump arrived, @drharshvardhan claimed India had 'stalled' entry of coronavirus.
We met many citizens - from a young project manager whose both parents tested positive in April & a nurse who became jobless and was nabbed by police - who were desperate.

They were looking to their government.

Found it absent.
India suffered - whichever way you see.

Without lockdown, would suffering have been more? We don't know.

To be fair, few govts world over did well against the virus.

Q remains - why did India dive into something MINUS it's best & relevant experts on board?
Our digital documentary is out now.

@BBCHindi: https://t.co/W2bwjcZn8B

@bbcnewsmarathi: https://t.co/kGrilse7C4

@bbcnewsgujarati: https://t.co/XVkxMsvy5F
Hindi Text:

https://t.co/9HNKJnvmyx

https://t.co/lFpnXr4lL7

Marathi Text:

https://t.co/g9990wX6DE
And yes - you must know this.

We requested the Modi Govt to put its point of view forward and waited for @PrakashJavdekar @MIB_India for OVER THREE FULL WEEKS.
Here's the story on other outlets:

@bbcnewspunjabi: https://t.co/l7SbWS7Quw

@bbctamil: https://t.co/87TJo61GTl
And now, investigation into @narendramodi government's #lockdown planning goes global. Please watch👇🏽
Sorry - here's the concluding part.

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