Modi, Kejriwal targeted for rallies, not wearing masks during Covid-19

With Covid-19 cases rising, political leaders are coming under attack for not wearing masks in public and conducting rallies with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is "often seen" without masks.

There have been several social media posts questioning conducting the Assembly elections to five states in the coming months and political parties organising rallies. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who tested positive for Covid-19, also faced criticism for his rally in Punjab last week.

"The rate at which the third wave is progressing, it seems an avalanche of Covid-19 cases are coming in the next few weeks. The Modi government is making the same mistakes it did during the second wave, which killed lakhs. Prime Minister Modi is himself often seen without masks. Will this govt ever learn?" Kharge tweeted.

The Prime Minister was photographed and videographed without masks while travelling in a metro along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri.

Modi has also addressed a few gatherings in Uttar Pradesh recently while Home Minister Amit Shah also addressed a few rallies. Congress' Priyanka Gandhi, who isolated herself after a family member and staff tested positive, had also attended several rallies in the recent past.

BJP's West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma took on Kejriwal, who was seen mingling with a large crowd in Chandigarh last week without wearing a mask, while wishing him a speedy recovery.

Verma tweeted, "Arvind-ji, during your political tourism, you did not care about Covid-19 and people have been infected because of you. For you, vote-bank is more important than people's lives. When you are supposed to lead from the front, you have 'isolated' yourself. Delhi is watching."

There were immediate retorts from sections that said it was actually a subtle message to Modi. Some on social media even called Kejriwal a "super spreader" while some others accused him of targeting those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi in March 2020.

There was also some questioning on social media of the Election Commission going ahead with the elections in five states. Parties have urged the Election Commission not to defer the polls.

BJP MP Varun Gandhi last week questioned the rationale behind imposing night curfew in Uttar Pradesh while the administration allowed political rallies amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and Omicron scare.

Also read: Imposing curfew at night and holding rallies during day 'beyond comprehension': Varun Gandhi

"Imposing curfew in the night and calling lakhs of people in rallies during the day – this is beyond the comprehension of the common man. Given Uttar Pradesh's limited healthcare systems, we have to honestly decide whether our priority is to stop the spread of the dreaded Omicron or show electoral power," Varun had tweeted, which was seen as a veiled criticism of the BJP-led government at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh.

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