“Step 1 – Tughlaqi Lockdown, Step 2…”: Rahul Gandhi Taunts Government

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The strategy to fight the current Covid surge comprises a “Tughlaqi lockdown, ringing bells and singing praises to the Lord”, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said today in his latest dig at the government. Mr Gandhi’s comments came on a day India saw a record 2,17,353 daily coronavirus cases, its biggest since the first case was reported in the country last year.

“The Central government’s COVID-19 strategy — Stage 1- Impose a Tughlaqi lockdown, Stage 2- Ring bells, Stage 3- Sing praises to the Lord,” Mr Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.

 


Rahul Gandhi has been sharply critical of the government over its handling of the pandemic.

Earlier this week, Mr Gandhi took a dig at the government after it decided to fast-track emergency approval for Covid vaccines used in western nations and Japan.

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win,” Mr Gandhi, who had earlier urged the government to fast-track more vaccines, tweeted after the development. Mr Gandhi had faced severed criticism by the ruling BJP for his demand.

The new move paves way for possible imports of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna shots.

Mr Gandhi’s party, the Congress, in the past also has compared some of the government’s decisions to those taken by Delhi Sultanate ruler Muhammad bin Tughlaq, to allege that they were arbitrary and not well though out.

The Congress has also taken swipes at the government over its “taali-thaali” call last year in which people across India clapped, rang bells, blew conch shells and beat metal plates in solidarity with health workers fighting the novel coronavirus.

The record 2.17 lakh daily cases reported today has pushed the total caseload to over 1.42 crore. This is the second straight day  that the country is reporting over two lakh daily cases and the sixth straight day of over 1.5 lakh daily cases. 1,185 people also died due to  the virus in the last 24 hours taking the country’s death count to 1,74,308.

The worrying spike has led to shortages of hospital beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccine doses in  many states in the country.

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