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Those who can’t manage a pet without a maid are criticising PM Modi: BJP general secretary

After Congress leaders Chidamabaram, Sibal and Tharoor criticise Modi's light-a-lamp plan, B.L. Santhosh tweets it's the 'usual suspects' who are disappointed.

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New Delhi: BJP organisation general secretary B.L. Santosh has sharply hit out at the critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who have questioned his video message urging Indians to light candles and lamps for nine minutes at 9 pm on 5 April to “defeat the despair” brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Usual suspects are disappointed by @narendramodi s message .They want facts , figures & new policies. They are the same people who can’t manage the single kid they have or the pet without a maid . He has to manage a country of 130 Cr people & most disruptive liberal eco system (sic),” Santhosh said in a tweet Friday.

— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) April 3, 2020

“Everyday a joint press conference is held by Govt . All questions are answered with facts , figures there . These usual suspects think it is below dignity to attend or listen to it. Like a guardian he is instilling confidence & hand holding the countrymen . #IndiaFightsCorona (sic),” added Santhosh.


Also read: How India can buck the trend of global recession caused by coronavirus


What the opposition said

Soon after the PM’s video message early Friday, Congress leaders P. Chidambaram, Shashi Tharoor and Kapil Sibal questioned Modi on invoking religion and superstition rather than providing specific details of government preparedness in containing the virus, and efforts to revive the Indian economy after the lockdown is lifted.

“Dear @narendramodi, We will listen to you and light diyas on April 5. But, in return, please listen to us and to the wise counsel of epidemiologists and economists,” Chidambaram said on Twitter in a jibe at the PM.

The former finance minister added that there was an expectation of the second part of relief package for the poor “including for those categories of poor who were totally ignored by @nsitharaman on 25-3-2020”.

Tharoor, the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said, “Listened to the Pradhan Showman. Nothing about how to ease people’s pain, their burdens, their financial anxieties. No vision of the future or sharing the issues he is weighing in deciding about the post-lockdown. Just a feel-good moment curated by India’s Photo-Op PrimeMinister! (sic).”

In another tweet, he said the PM was invoking “auspicious elements” associated with Hinduism.

Senior party leader Kapil Sibal listed out a number of things that he “learnt nothing about” from the video. He went on to urge the PM to “light the diya of reason, not that of superstition”.

What BJP said

While the Congress leaders took the opportunity to take on PM Modi, BJP leaders, including party president J.P. Nadda, and Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani, didn’t react to the criticism. All of them only asked Indians to respond to the PM’s call by lighting lamps.

However, replying to Tharoor’s tweet, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, If You all from @INCIndia don’t want to light a candle to stand in solidarity with India ..if that’s too much of a pain for you Congress people ..so be it ..stay in darkness..but at least don’t forget to put off that “TUBELIGHT”!! (sic)”.

Soon after the PM posted his message on social media platforms, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also appeared at a government press conference to respond to questions about India’s preparedness.

The minister spoke about how India was preparing and augmenting its infrastructure to fight the epidemic even before the World Health Organisation instruction arrived.


Also read: Arvind Kejriwal confused migrants to trigger exodus from Delhi: Bihar deputy CM Sushil Modi


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8 COMMENTS

  1. Y making us Ol fool, we ol knw bjp foundation day is April 6th that’s y u celebrating thru the nation on April 5th since Sunday. Huh I as a youth of country won’t heed to light any lamp. I won’t do it no matter wat. I only want relief from virus in our nation, awareness n hygiene campaign, improved economical infrastructure, reduced anxiety among poor, repeated testing and scanning, proper medical equipment for all in need. Trust in present govt is zero very well proved vd light lampng?

  2. Is this all another technique to involve people in a discussion that has no end nor any meaning. A PM who does not provide PPE, Gloves, N-95 mask, and gown for health workers and doctors nurses are on the street demanding this. While WHO is out telling three ways to fight COVID-9 is Testing, Testing and testing there are no testing worth numbers to find check virus, that hospitals with beds that are being announced is meaningless with an ICU and ventilators. Bihar is ruled by BJP how many hospitals have ICU and ventilators? Migrant workers are being taunted, ill treated as if they do not matter and in the midst of all this our PM calls for playing plates, etc and now ask people to switch off lights with more light and light up candle with dim light. Is is another way to get his party men working on the issue that has no relevance to fighting COVID-19?

  3. Sir.
    Before this government, India did not exist?????
    Nobody ruled 130 crore people?????
    India was anarchy????
    Pity on you.
    You are knowingly ignoring the great achievements of India in 70 years.
    Dams,bridges,roads,radios,television,telecommunications,schools,colleges,IIMS,IITS,airports.ports. polio, malaria,TB eradications,power to dalits,sc,st and many more. Yes, agreed. Some mistakes,errors,corruptions comitted.
    Come out of your shell to understand.

  4. Lighting Candles or diyas are not going to end the pandemic. The government at the Centre need to get realistic. Period.

  5. Lighting lamp/ candle etc clearly looks soothsayer advice. Country s’ economic wheels even in extreme emergent situations need to grind albeit at slower pace. Total lock down for next few days/weeks , will create most difficult conditions even to kick start economy. Still time to rethink. Restrict curfew to Corona hot spots and let the normal situation return in incremental manner in balance areas.. Such situation did not emerge even during Tsunami and Super Cyclones. Regrettably , we have failed to learn any lessons.

  6. Those who have a pet, or have a maid, or both, do not have brains? Is this what you are trying to say, Santhosh ji? What sort of a logic is this!

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