Jaganmohan Reddy hits back at Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren over his dig at PM Modi, calls for unity

Both Jagan and Soren were among the CMs who received a telephone call from the PM on Thursday

In an unusual tweet, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has found fault with a tweet by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach in dealing with the Covid-19 surge.

In a public display of support for Modi, normally expected of BJP leaders and CMs, Jagan has asked his counterpart “not to point fingers but to come together and strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister to effectively combat the pandemic.”

The YSRCP supremo's defence of Modi comes at a time when the Opposition parties from the Congress to the Trinamool Congress are unified in their attack on the central government over the healthcare system crisis and the vast number of deaths caused by the Covid-19 second wave. Some chief ministers like Arvind Kejriwal have also highlighted the crippling issues of vaccine unavailability and oxygen shortage.

Both Jagan and Soren, chiefs of two regional parties, were among the Chief Ministers who received a telephone call from the PM on Thursday to review the Covid-19 situation in their respective states.

Also read — PM Modi talks to 4 CMs, 2 LGs on Covid-19 situation

“Received a call from the honourable PM today. Instead of his Mann-ki-Baat, it would have been better if he spoke or listened about kaam-ki-baat,” Soren tweeted after his conversation with the PM on Thursday evening.

Reddy, who also received the call from the PM, chose to react on Friday saying, “Dear Hemant Soren, I have great respect for you, but as a brother I would urge you, no matter what ever our differences are, indulging in such level of politics would only weaken our own nation.”

“In this war against Covid-19, these are the times not to point fingers but to come together and strengthen the hands of our Prime Minister to effectively combat the pandemic,” Jagan further stated.

Meanwhile, a special CBI court in Hyderabad, on Friday, reviewed a petition by YSRCP rebel MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju seeking cancellation of Jagan's bail. Arrested in the disproportionate assets case by the CBI in May 2012, Jagan has been out on bail since September 2013.

The court has posted the matter to May 17, after both Jagan and CBI side lawyers have reportedly sought time to file counters.

The YSRCP, with 22 Lok Sabha and six Rajya Sabha MPs, has been largely supportive of the NDA government in Parliament and outside, even backing some controversial legislation like the CAA, farm bills.

While the exact reason that prompted Jagan's tweet now was not clear, CMO officials shared the tweet with the media seeking wide publicity.

“It is an unusual tweet,” admitted a senior functionary in the Jagan government. “It is well known that Jagan is on friendly terms with the BJP and seeks good relations with the centre,” he told DH.