"Now that... Covid19 Omicron cases are increasing" Adhir Ranjan
Dec 22, 2022
New Delhi [India], December 22 : Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday took on the Centre for "conspiring" to stop Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying the central government which did not pay heed to Rahul Gandhi's precious advice during 2019 of the pandemic is now indulging in making excuses of the surge in Omicron cases.
"When COVID had first come to India, we cautioned the government. But the government did not listen to us. Consequently, many people died because of COVID. If the government had listened to Rahul Gandhi, so many people would not have died. Now that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is going to enter Delhi, they're saying that Covid19 Omicron cases are increasing," he said while speaking to ANI.
Hitting out at the BJP for the election rallies during November and December in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, the Congress MP alleged that the Centre is now devising an "excuse" to stop Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"The cases of the sub-variant detected were between Aug-Nov this year. Then why did Prime Minister Narendra Modi conduct the election rally in Gujarat? Why was a Millet's exclusive lunch organised at Parliament recently? Now when Rahul Gandhi is about to enter Delhi with a larger number of people in Bharat Jodo Yatra, now the Centre devised an excuse to stop Rahul Gandhi at any cost. It is a conspiracy. Is the BJP not carrying out its rallies in various places in the country?" he said.
Mandaviya had earlier said that his writing a letter to the Congress leaders regarding COVID was not "political".
Union Minister Mandaviya wrote a letter to Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot asking them to ensure compliance of the COVID-19 safety guidelines strictly during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"Follow the COVID guidelines strictly during Bharat Jodo Yatra which is going on in Rajasthan. Use of masks-sanitiser should be implemented. Only vaccinated people should participate," the Health Minister said in the letter written on Tuesday.
In the letter, the Union Health Minister also requested that if following COVID protocol is not possible then the Bharat Jodo Yatra be postponed in the national interest, taking note of the public health emergency.
