The Congress on Thursday blamed the government’s lack of will for the misery of the poor and small businesses and built a social media campaign in support of its demand for emergency aid to these sections.

As political activities aren’t allowed during the lockdown, the party leadership tried to make its point by raising a storm on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Senior leaders joined thousands of party workers in posting videos and messages to highlight a range of issues and demand a substantial package to deal with the economic and humanitarian crisis.

Party workers ensured that the hashtag #SpeakUpIndia trended on Twitter through the day.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi led the campaign, alleging the entire country — except for the Narendra Modi government — felt the pain of the poor. She underlined how they had walked hundreds of kilometres, carrying children and luggage on their shoulders, many of them dying of hunger and exhaustion on the way.

Sonia exhorted the country to ask the government: “Jo ho raha hai, woh kyun ho raha hai? Jo hona chahiye, woh kyon nahin ho raha hai? Agar hoga toh kab hoga (Why is all this happening? Why is what should happen not happening? When, if at all, will it happen)?”

She wondered how it was possible for anyone not to hear the wails of the millions, see their suffering or feel their grief.

“The lockdown was necessary. But was it also necessary to give only four hours’ notice? How could the government not anticipate what the helpless migrant workers would do once the shutters of the industries and shops they worked for were down, and there were no livelihood options?” she said.

“The true test of any government is what it does for the most vulnerable sections of society. The government didn’t only refuse to help; it obstructed those who stepped out to help.”

Sonia articulated the party’s demands, the theme of the day’s campaign: “Give Rs 10,000 to every poor family right away. Then transfer Rs 7,500 per family for the next six months, in addition to 10kg rations. Arrange for jobs for 200 days a year under the MGNREGA. And give financial aid — not loans — of Rs one lakh crore to the MSMEs. This will not only protect the weakest sections of society, this will also trigger economic revival.”

Sonia argued the government did not lack the resources to do this.

“Money is not a problem if it is used wisely. The Rs 20,000 crore kept aside for the beautification of Delhi — the Central Vista project — can be used to feed the poor,” she said.

Other senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, the chief ministers and party office-bearers, posted videos making similar points.

They alleged that no other country had witnessed such a humanitarian crisis despite lockdowns and described the Indian experience as the gravest administrative malfunction and the worst example of political apathy.

They argued that there was enough time for advance planning but the government wasted the pre-lockdown period in hosting US President Donald Trump and pulling down the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.

Videos were posted showing the sufferings of the poor and conversations with aggrieved men and women that brought out the popular anger and frustration.

Migrants explained how they were left stranded without food or shelter and how their decision to walk home reflected their desperation and despondency.

While some recalled how they had waited for days to get the next meal after eating a piece of bread given by strangers, others narrated how they had reached home without a rupee in their pocket.

Among the many short films posted, one tried to suggest through a long Hindi poem that the Modi government was habitually anti-poor and cared only for the rich.

“Unke dost ho toh karlo duniyan mutthi mein/ Udyog chhote bhej diye gaye hain chhutti mein (If you are their crony, the world is in your grasp/ The smaller businesses have been closed),” the poem said.

Referring to the distressed poor, it said: “Inki awaz pahunchani hai/ Sarkar ye neend se jagani hai (Their voices have to be taken to the government to wake it from its slumber).”

Party spokesperson Ajay Maken and social media head Rohan Gupta said over 57 lakh people participated in the campaign and #SpeakUpIndia trended worldwide on Twitter. They said the total reach of the campaign involved around 10 crore people, which can be taken as the biggest virtual rally ever held in India. The party described this as a measure of concern about the worst-ever humanitarian crisis in India.