“Quit Playing The Clown”: Rahul Gandhi Slams PM Over Coronavirus Response
India on Monday reported two new cases of the novel coronavirus, including one from the national capital.
New Delhi:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday sharply hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his government’s response to the global coronavirus outbreak, saying he should “quit wasting India’s time playing the clown with your social media accounts, when India is facing an emergency.”
Sharing a video of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Mr Gandhi advised PM Modi, “Here’s how it is done”
Rahul Gandhi’s reference to PM Modi’s social media activities was his announcement on Tuesday that he would hand over his social media accounts for a day on International Women’s Day this Sunday to amplify stories about inspirational women. The announcement followed a teaser on Monday, in which he said he was considering “giving up his social media accounts”, triggering intense speculation and a storm of reactions.
Earlier in the day, expressing concern over the new cases of coronavirus in India, Mr Gandhi said a “true leader” would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on the country and its economy.
India on Monday reported two new cases of the novel coronavirus, including one from the national capital.
“There are moments in the life of every nation when its leaders are tested. A true leader would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on India and its economy,” Mr Gandhi tweeted.
He also tagged his February 12 tweet in which he had said the coronavirus is an extremely serious threat to “our people and our economy”.
“My sense is the government is not taking this threat seriously. Timely action is critical,” he had said.
India had earlier reported three cases from Kerala, including two medical students from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the deadly novel coronavirus. They had self-reported on their return to the country and tested positive for the infection. They were discharged from hospitals last month following recovery.
An hour after Mr Gandhi’s first tweet on Tuesday, PM Modi tweeted there is “no need to panic” and that he had held an “extensive review with number of ministries and state governments regarding preparedness levels”.
Ndtv
