Bajaj Auto’s Aurangabad manufacturing plant has been shut down after 79 employees tested positive for COVID-19, reported Business Insider on Friday. The facility which handles a majority of the exports of motorcycles and three-wheelers of the company started its operations with limited workforce from April 22.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole from Pune's Shivajinagar has without naming slammed Bajaj Auto's Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj as he had earlier, in a conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, mocked the lockdown enforced to control the spread of the pandemic. Bajaj had called the lockdown "draconian" and said that such a situation was not even called for during the World War.
Taking to Twitter, Shirole wrote, "This is not an “I told you so” post, but its about reminding cynics,the Modi-haters, the arm chair epidemiologists who had called the #Lockdown a draconian measure & advocated sacrificing the lives of our elders and vulnerable for their so called version of greater good(sic)."
"It’s been reported that 79 Workers have tested positive, 2 have already died of #COVID19 at Sambhajinagar Factory of BAJAJ Auto, inevitably forcing the Plant to shut down. Now imagine the high number of infections, deaths & the panic if this had taken place in April-May," he added.
Siddharth Shirole further said that the lockdown has made the administration educated and equipped for handling the pandemic. "I reiterate, due to the lockdown, today we are more educated & equipped to handle #COVID19 infections around us. Administration is experienced, protocols are refined, COVID Warriors are better armed, citizens mentally & emotionally ready to fight this battle without panic," he said.
The BJP MLA did not deny the economic ramifications of the lockdown and added, "But as we learn to live with #COVID19 & start working towards reviving the #economy, we the citizens are thankful to the extremely valuable lessons learned during the intervention (lock-down phase)."
