Modi govt 'politicising' Covid, why no protocol issued after letter to Rahul: Congress

The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of "politicising" Covid and asked why it had not come out with a protocol to deal with a sub-variant of the virus weeks after it wrote to Rahul Gandhi expressing concern over the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh said that on December 20, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had written to Gandhi on the basis of issues raised by two Rajasthan BJP MPs.

"What was the objective of that letter? Effort was made to stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra on the pretext of Covid. I want to ask the health minister what happened to the protocol. Twenty-three days have passed and no protocol has been issued," Ramesh said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.

"The prime minister is travelling everywhere in the country, addressing rallies, going on cruise, is he wearing a mask? What was that letter of December 20? It was a political intervention and step by the Modi government as it was rattled by the success of the yatra, especially in Rajasthan," the Congress leader alleged.

Later in a tweet, Ramesh said, "What is this Mansukh Mandviya? You have not issued any protocol to deal with the Omicron subvariant BF.7 after writing a letter to Rahul Gandhi on the basis of letters by two BJP MPs in order to divert attention from the Bharat Jodo Yatra." "Instead of doing something serious, the Modi government is politicizing Covid," he charged.

Ramesh asserted that the yatra will not stop.

Mandaviya, citing concerns raised by three BJP MPs over the spread of coronavirus, had urged Gandhi last month to consider suspending the Bharat Jodo Yatra if adherence to Covid protocols cannot be followed.

The Congress had accused the BJP government of using Covid as a pretext to stall the yatra.