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'Now that yatra will enter Delhi...': Cong MP's theory on Mandaviya's letter
Bharat Jodo Yatra news: The foot march, led by MP Rahul Gandhi, is the Congress' mega outreach effort before the 2024 election.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at prime minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday as the two parties bicker over union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya's letter to Rahul Gandhi, who was asked to press pause on the Bharat Jodo Yatra if he cannot ensure Covid protocols are followed. Chowdhury pointed out India cases of the BF.7 Omicron subvariant - driving the China surge - were logged August-November.
Chowdhury also slammed what he said was the BJP's efforts to derail the Congress' yatra - which will enter national capital Delhi later this week - and asked why - if a new Covid wave is a matter of concern - the prime minister had campaigned for the Gujarat election.
"Now that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is going to enter Delhi... they're saying that Covid-19 Omicron cases are increasing. The cases of the sub-variant detected were between August and November this year..." he was quoted by news agency ANI.
READ | 'Did PM follow Covid protocols during polls?': Adhir Chowdhury
"When we got information on this surge variant... then why (did) PM campaign in Gujarat (ahead of) polls and why was a millets lunch organised at Parliament?" he asked.
Chowdhury was referring to a special lunch for MPs this week organised by agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar to celebrate 2023 as Millet Year.
Chowdhury also claimed Mandaviya had been tasked by the government with diverting the public's attention from the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is the Congress' mega outreach effort ahead of crucial Assembly elections in 2023 and a general election in 2024.
READ | PM chairs high-level meet to review Covid preparedness
Mandaviya has defended himself and the letter to Rahul Gandhi by asserting his position as the country's health minister, and by insisting that the missive was not political in nature.
"It is not political at all... I am the health minister and have to take care of this." He said three MPs from Congress-ruled Rajasthan (he did not mention names) had written to him.
READ | 'I'm health minister': Mandaviya on Bharat Jodo Yatra letter to Rahul
The BJP has halted its yatra, which was being held across Rajasthan with an eye on next year's election. "We halted our 'Jan Aakrosh Yatra'... Rahul Gandhi should follow Covid-19 protocols... safety of the people is most important," BJP MP Arun Singh said in Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, has also hit back, accusing the BJP of making excuses as they realise the support being generated by his march.
"... excuses to stop this yatra, they are scared of India's truth," he said in BJP-ruled Haryana, where the yatra is at this time.
READ | 'Excuses…scared of India's truth': Rahul's swipe at BJP
The health minister and prime minister have held Covid review meetings over the past 48 hours and have assured the public the situation is well in hand..
India has reported four cases of the BF.7 subvariant; three in Gujarat, which witnessed massive campaigning and a high-voltage election this month.
READ | 1 million cases daily in China now, 4.2 million by March - new report
China is widely seen as logging tens of thousands of new cases daily - although officially that number is below 3,100 today.
