Coronavirus becoming popular expression for political attacks

In this season of coronavirus scare, some politicians have found the word with enormous public-connect nowadays very handy for derision of opponents or their standpoints they want to show as harmful.

In the two Telugu states particularly, the coronavirus expression has become quite popular among the politicians, starting right from Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

During the assembly debate on the COVID-19 situation in the state last week, Rao has called the Congress party as “the gravest corona(virus) that was inflicted upon the nation".

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In the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu are being routinely labelled as a virus by their rivals.

“Corona(virus) is devastating China but is surpassed by the YSRCP virus here wrecking Andhra Pradesh,” Naidu tweeted on February 8 pointing to the industry-investors situation.

On March 1, the day the first positive case was reported from Telangana, TDP leader Buddha Venkanna tweeted that instead of Covid-19, “Scientists have prioritized a cure for Jagan’s personality disorder.”

Former MLA Vangalapudi Anitha assured that the virus would keep away from the state “scared of the YSRCP.”

YSRCP is also acerbic in its retorts. “China has corona(virus); AP has a virus called Chandranna which ruined the state,” said YSRCP MLA Gudivada Amarnath.

“Chandrababu has transmitted his virus to the State Election Commission,” said another YSRCP MLA Jogi Ramesh, referring to the commission’s Sunday decision deferring local body polls by six weeks. YSRCP convinced of a massive victory is furious with the SEC called.

COVID-19 is also a reference point in Madhya Pradesh political pandemonium. The Congress CM Kamal Nath said that “Coronavirus has been inflicted upon politics,” in an apparent reference to the BJP’s Jyotiraditya Scindia move.

BJP’s friend turned foe Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana too has likened the MP events as a spread of virus. “A political virus trying to destabilize governments of opposition parties by engineering defections is also causing havoc in the country. This virus was seen working in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Karnataka and other states. However, it proved ineffective in Maharashtra,” the magazine said.

Some more Chief Ministers are using the virus for political attacks. Earlier this month as COVID-19 cases were being reported from more states, West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee while addressing a rally has reportedly accused the Narendra Modi government as spreading panic to divert attention from Delhi riots.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan called a circular from the Centre asking Itlay etc. returnees to prove they are Covid-19 negative as “uncivilized.”