‘Furore won’t bring back dead’: Haryana CM Khattar’s remark sparks row
“And those who have died will not come back by creating a furore over it,” Khattar said at one point, arguing that there was no point in getting into a debate on whether or not the official number of deaths was correct.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar came under sharp criticism from the Opposition Congress over his comment that “it was pointless to argue over Covid-19 fatality figures as the dead won’t come back to life, and the focus should be on providing relief to those suffering now”.
Khattar was replying to questions on the alleged under-reporting of deaths due to coronavirus as the figures of crematoriums and burial grounds do not match with the official numbers. “The kind of difficult situation we are going through, we don’t have to play with data. Our entire focus should be on how people will recover and how we can provide them relief,” he told reporters in Rohtak on Monday.
“And those who have died will not come back by creating a furore over it,” he said at one point, arguing that there was no point in getting into a debate on whether or not the official number of deaths was correct.
The opposition Congress was quick to slam his remarks with party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala saying, “These can only be the words of a merciless ruler. There is a need to make a noise over every death which is the result of the government’s inefficiency so that the deaf BJP government can hear the echo.”
Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja also slammed Khattar for such an “irresponsible” statement. “The people are suffering from serious disease and waiting for medicines, oxygen supply and ventilators and Haryana chief minister is making irresponsible statements on Covid patients’ deaths. Congress condemns his statement,” she said.
Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi also condemned the CM’s comment. “These remarks are shameful. I strongly condemn the thinking of the chief minister,” the Congress leader tweeted.
(With inputs from PTI)
