Red-faced government says don't hoard as Congress youth wing delivers oxygen to Philippines, NZ High Commissions

The High Commission of New Zealand in New Delhi posted on Twitter early on Sunday, seeking help from Srinivas and the IYC to procure oxygen cylinders

A political row erupted after at least two foreign diplomatic missions in New Delhi accepted oxygen cylinders from the youth wing of the opposition Congress amid the raging second Covid-19 wave – leaving the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party red-faced.

The activists of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) led by its president B V Srinivas delivered oxygen cylinders to the Embassy of Philippines and the High Commission of New Zealand.

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, however, claimed on Twitter that the Embassy of Philippines had none suffering from Covid-19 and the IYC’s delivery of oxygen cylinders to it was an “unsolicited supply” for “cheap publicity”. He also tweeted that giving away oxygen cylinders at the time of crisis was “simply appalling”.

The diplomat-turned-politician took to Twitter to defend the BJP Government after the Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh retweeted the IYC leader’s tweet, which had a video of the cylinders being delivered at the Embassy of Philippines. “While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen I’m stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar?” posted Ramesh.

Jaishankar’s post was contested by the IYC, which posted screenshots of the online communications of the Embassy of Philippines with its activists before the delivery of the cylinders. The IYC also tweeted a Facebook post by the Embassy of Philippines, which acknowledged the receipt of the two cylinders and thanked the activists of the Congress' youth wing.

Ever since the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit Delhi and adjoining areas along with the rest of the country, Srinivas and his team of IYC activists have been responding to distress calls on social media from the families of the patients infected with the coronavirus, delivering either medicines and oxygen cylinders, or arranging beds at the Intensive Care Units of the hospitals.

The High Commission of New Zealand in New Delhi too posted on Twitter early on Sunday, seeking help from Srinivas and the IYC to procure oxygen cylinders. “We have reached the New Zealand High Commission with oxygen cylinders. Please open the gates and save a soul on time,” Srinivas tweeted after some time.

He later updated that the High Commission of New Zealand had opened the gate and accepted the cylinders.

The High Commission later deleted the original tweet seeking help from the IYC, apparently after taking note of Jaishankar’s response to the tweet by Ramesh. It, however, later posted: “We are trying all sources to arrange for oxygen cylinders urgently and our appeal has unfortunately been misinterpreted, for which we are sorry.”

"The Chief of Protocol and Heads of Divisions are in continuous touch with all High Commissions/Embassies and MEA is responding to their medical demands, especially those related to Covid. This includes facilitating their hospital treatment,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, said. “Given the pandemic situation, all are urged not to hoard essential supplies, including oxygen”.