‘Chronology samjhiye’: Congress’s jibe at Centre over PM’s Covid meeting

PTI, Dec 22, 2022, 7:40 PM IST

“Understand the chronology,” the Congress said on Thursday as it pointed out that the health minister has written to party leader Rahul Gandhi over COVID-19 concerns and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reviewing the virus-related situation just days before the ”Bharat Jodo Yatra” enters Delhi.

The opposition party alleged that the Modi government ”suddenly agreed” to adjourn Parliament sine die on Friday so that its use of Covid to ”defame and derail” the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a foot march being led by Gandhi, acquires a shade of respectability.

The Congress’s attack came on a day the prime minister reviewed the Covid situation in the country at a high-level meeting.

In a tweet, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said: ”4 cases of Omicron sub-variant driving Chinese surge were reported in Gujarat and Odisha in July, September and November.” ”Health Minister writes a letter to Rahul Gandhi yesterday. PM is reviewing situation today. Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Delhi day after. Ab Aap Chronology Samjhiye…. (now, understand the chronology),” he said.

In a subsequent tweet, Ramesh said Parliament will adjourn sine die on Friday and noted that this was a demand raised by the opposition parties long ago since there were not too many bills that were to be passed in the winter session.

”Modi government which never listens, suddenly agreed so that its use of Covid-19 to defame and derail Bharat Jodo Yatra acquires a shade of respectability,” he alleged.

”Now, will the Modi govt make masks and sanitisers compulsory, curtail international flights and ban public gatherings? The Bharat Jodo Yatra will abide by a science-based and medical evidence-based protocol,” Ramesh asserted.

Accusing the government of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra over Covid concerns, the Congress had, on Wednesday, pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was organising marches in Karnataka and Rajasthan, and asserted that public health is far too serious an issue to play party politics on.

Citing the concerns raised by three BJP MPs over the spread of the coronavirus, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has urged Gandhi to consider suspending the Bharat Jodo Yatra if Covid protocols cannot be adhered to.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Haryana from Rajasthan on Wednesday.

A mass contact initiative of the Congress, the yatra started from Kanyakumari on September 7 and has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

It is slated to enter Delhi on December 24 and after a break of nine days, move on to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and finally, Jammu and Kashmir.