Govt asks social media firms to remove contents referring to ‘Indian variant’ of coronavirus

Sources said the matter has already been clarified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 12 through a press release

The Centre has asked all social media platforms to remove content that refers to the ‘Indian variant’ of the coronavirus, triggering a war of words with the Opposition Congress.

In a letter to social media platforms, the ministry of electronics and information technology said that a “false statement” was being circulated online about an ‘Indian variant’ of coronavirus spreading across countries.

“WHO has not associated the term ‘Indian variant’ with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus in any of its reports,” the letter said and asked social media platforms to remove “all the content that names, refers to, or implies ‘Indian variant’ of the coronavirus immediately.”

Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was “afraid of this Covid variant”.

Read | Covid-19 crisis: Growing clamour to stop calling B.1.167 variant the 'Indian variant'

“It started with Chinese corona. Now, it’s the Indian variant of coronavirus. Today, India’s President and Prime Minister Modi are afraid of this Covid variant. What toolkit is this? Our scientists are calling it the Indian variant. Only BJP advisers are not accepting it,” Kamal Nath said.

He said India was now identified with the new variant of the coronavirus, prompting foreign countries such as Britain to suspend flights.

Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar hit out at Nath, saying the Congress was not only insulting the country but also weakening the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

“Such statements by Congress leaders are creating fear and confusion among the people. This is not the role of constructive opposition. Congress is now resorting to negative politics. Sonia Gandhi should explain, why is the Congress resorting to negative politics?” Javadekar said.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said the term ‘Indian variant’ existed only in the Congress toolkit and nowhere else.