On Covid And Rallies, Nitish Kumar's Tacit Support For Rahul Gandhi's Yatra
NDTV
Nitish Kumar said, "In between they (the BJP) said one should not worry about Covid. Now they are worrying. They started this when the Congress people are holding their yatra. Now, everybody has their rights. Don't they hold yatras themselves?"
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has accused the BJP of having double standards when it comes to Covid and public rallies, citing the Centre's "suspend yatra" letter to Rahul Gandhi amid the Covid surge in China. Speaking to reporters today, Mr Kumar questioned the timing of the BJP move, lending tacit support to the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"In between they (the BJP) said one should not worry about Covid. Now they are worrying. They started this when the Congress people are holding their yatra. Now, everybody has their rights. Don't they hold yatras themselves?" Mr Kumar said.
The Centre wrote to Rahul Gandhi about the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Tuesday, saying it should be suspended "in national interest" if proper Covid safety measures cannot be followed. Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has insisted that masks and sanitisers be used and only vaccinated people be allowed to participate.
Masks have not been mandatory for months, and there has been no directive even in view of the China surge. The government has said there is no cause to panic. The party, though, has suspended its Jan Akrosh Yatra -- held in Rajasthan in response to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
