The JMM demanded a complete lockdown for a few days to break the Covid-19 transmission chain at an all-party meeting chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren online on Saturday evening.

JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharjee said, “It is high time we go for a complete lockdown to break the virus chain. And reopening should be in a phased manner. Rest, whatever decision the government takes, the party will wholeheartedly support.”

State NCP president Kamlesh Kumar supported the JMM. “Lockdown seems to be the need of the hour. If not a long lockdown, we must go for at least three days full lockdown in a week,” he said.

Representatives of all parties in the state attended the meeting.

The Congress, part of the ruling alliance in the state, however, didn’t back the government on a lockdown. State party chief and finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said, “We are not in favour of an economic lockdown as it will affect the poor. But, yes, there is a need for social and religious lockdown.”

He asked state BJP president Deepak Prakash to push the BJP government at the Centre to open up vaccination for all in hotspots of Jharkhand to prevent severity of infections.

While Prakash did not air his views on a lockdown, he assured Hemant that his party would upport the state government in its fight against Covid-19.

“We certainly agree that there is a need for strict regulations to control the spread of Covid. Whatever decisions the government takes, we will back,” said Prakash, and went on to suggest a few measures.

Prakash asked the state government to immediately set up 24x7 helplines in all districts for information on availability of hospital beds, timely testing and furnishing of reports. He also called for strict monitoring of patinets in home isolation.

BJP’s ally, AJSU-P’s chief Sudesh Mahto asked the state government to immediately curb blackmarketing of medicines and beds in hospitals. He also wondered why Covid testing wasn't being ramped up. “Just yesterday, many people who returned from Maharashtra were tested at Ranchi station. The government has to step up monitoring and implementation on the ground,” he said.