Sangeeta Yadav (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 16, 2020)

At a time when there is a spurt in Coronavirus cases, actor Jaideep Ahlawat feels reopening liquor shops wasn’t the “right decision”. He rues that on day one of the reopening, people across the country were seen flouting the social distancing protocol.

The actor tells us, “It was a mockery of the lockdown, especially in Maharashtra where people in large numbers came out to buy liquor. With rising Covid-19 cases and deaths in India, the government should have thought of the repercussions before opening liquor shops”.

The actor, 40, says that if reopening liquor shops was beneficial for the economy, then “the government should have come up with better services like ordering liquor online and home delivery facility”.

Condemning the attacks on medical staff and cops who have been working non-stop to save citizens and urging them to follow protocols, he says, “It’s foolish and such a shame that we attack those working for everyone’s safety.” Instead, the Raazi (2018) actor believes that people who work tirelessly for the well-being of society need to be supported and applauded for their efforts.

“We humans need to reboot and learn to have gratitude for our doctors, police officers, or those providing essential services, otherwise they would feel that it’s a thankless job. They risk their lives for others and don’t even get time for their own family. We need to be more compassionate, caring towards them instead of misbehaving,” he adds.