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Singapore calls in Indian envoy, objects to Delhi CM’s comment on new Covid strain
Indian high commissioner P Kumaran clarified Kejriwal had “no competence” to comment on Covid-19 variants, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks about a new Coronavirus strain allegedly being detected in Singapore triggered a diplomatic spat on Wednesday, with the Southeast Asian country calling in the Indian envoy to lodge an objection. Indian high commissioner P Kumaran clarified Kejriwal had “no competence” to comment on Covid-19 variants, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet. External affairs minister S Jaishankar described Kejriwal’s remarks as “irresponsible” and said the chief minister did not speak for India.
Kejriwal’s deputy, Manish Sisodia, hit out at the response to Singapore’s objection to the chief minister’s comments and added the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were only concerned about their image globally and not about the well-being of the country’s children. Sisodia added only Kejriwal is worried about the risk of children contracting the infection and not the Centre. “[Kejriwal] said that the danger of Covid-19 infecting more children is increasing. That is what it looks like going by the strain there [Singapore]... which is why it is necessary that we also remain alert... Singapore’s education minister had also given a statement that the risk of children getting infected is increasing. But today the BJP has started dirty politics on the issue,” said Sisodia.
Sisodia said the BJP and the Central government are only concerned about Singapore. “They won’t get vaccines for children, but they are worried about Singapore.” He added a few months back, a new strain was detected in London as well and despite several warnings, the Central government did not take necessary actions or measures in time because of which India is now facing a terrible situation. “Today, the entire country is suffering because of the Central government’s negligence. Thousands have died.”
It is rare for the external affairs ministry to acknowledge that an Indian envoy has been called in by the government of another country to lodge a protest, and also to publicly criticise an elected Indian official.
Hours after Kejriwal tweeted on Tuesday about the alleged new Coronavirus strain in Singapore and asked the Centre to immediately suspend flights from that country, Singapore’s health ministry dismissed his assertions and said the variant prevalent in many Covid-19 cases in recent weeks was the “B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India”.
“Singapore Government called in our High Commissioner today to convey strong objection to Delhi CM’s tweet on ‘Singapore variant’. High Commissioner clarified that Delhi CM had no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy,” Bagchi tweeted.
Jaishankar tweeted that Singapore and India are solid partners in the fight against Covid-19. He appreciated Singapore’s role as a logistics hub and oxygen supplier.
“However, irresponsible comments from those who should know better can damage long-standing partnerships. So, let me clarify – Delhi CM does not speak for India,” he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan quoted Kejriwal’s original tweet and wrote on Twitter: “Politicians should stick to facts! There is no ‘Singapore variant’.”
Balakrishnan included in his tweet a link to an article in the publication Nature with the headline “Coronavirus variants are spreading in India – what scientists know so far”. The article said Coronavirus variants including B.1.617 have been linked to the massive surge in infections in India in recent weeks.
Singapore’s foreign ministry rejected what it said were “unfounded assertions” on social media by Kejriwal and expressed its disappointment “that a prominent political figure had failed to ascertain the facts before making such claims”. These concerns were conveyed to the Indian envoy, the ministry said.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the Singapore government had reacted so strongly because Kejriwal’s assertions had not gone down well with the people of Singapore. Many people had taken umbrage at his remarks and publicly complained about them, they added.
The Singapore health ministry’s statement of Tuesday had cited Indian media reports quoting Kejriwal and said: “There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions found within the reports.”
The statement added: “There is no ‘Singapore variant’. The strain that is prevalent in many of the Covid-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India. Phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore.”
Kejriwal had asked the Centre to immediately suspend flights from Singapore because the alleged new strain was suspected to affect children. He also contended that the alleged new strain could lead to the third wave of infections in India and said the Centre should focus on identifying vaccines for children.
Union aviation minister Hardeep Puri responded to Kejriwal’s remarks by saying that there were no regular flights between India and Singapore, except for a few under the Vande Bharat mission to repatriate Indian nationals.
Kejriwal had said in his tweet in Hindi: “The new form of Covid-19 that has come to Singapore is being said to be extremely dangerous for children. In India, it may come as a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Air services with Singapore be cancelled with immediate effect 2. Priority on vaccine options should be worked out for children too.”
Sisodia maintained scientists and even the Supreme Court are saying that children are in danger because of this strain of the virus. “They have warned that whatever the next strain is, it could affect children on a large scale leading to a potential third wave. But we are not understanding this. The issue is not Singapore. The issue is the children of our country. Parents in India are worried about their children and not about India’s image before Singapore.”
Sisodia said the Centre sold vaccines meant for Indian children to other countries only to feel happy about posters that were put up there. “They are not worried about the children. The BJP and the Centre can keep worrying about their image across the world, but we will keep worrying about our children,” he said.
