The second wave of COVID-19 has added to pressure to the country’s already stretched healthcare system. Amid tragic shortage of medical oxygen, medicines and beds, India recorded over 3.5 lakh new cases on Monday.
With the crisis in India even making international headlines, actor Anupam Kher’s tweet supporting the Centre, has irked many netizens. The veteran actor is being criticised for tweeting, "Aayega toh Modi hi," in response to a tweet by senior journalist Shekhar Gupta blaming the government for the situation today.
आदरणीय @ShekharGupta जी!! ये कुछ ज़्यादा ही हो गया।आपके स्टैंडर्ड से भी।करोना एक विपदा है।पूरी दुनिया के लिए।हमने इस महामारी का सामना पहले कभी नहीं किया।सरकार की आलोचना ज़रूरी है।उनपे तोहमत लगाइए।पर इससे जूझना हम सबकी भी ज़िम्मेदारी है।वैसे घबराइए मत।आएगा तो मोदी ही!! जय हो!🙏 https://t.co/YZPzY4sVJh
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) April 25, 2021
Shekhar Gupta took to Twitter to call out the government that is ‘missing in action’ during the crisis. He tweeted: "As a child of the sixties, I’ve seen every crisis, incl 3 full wars, food shortages, calamities. This is our biggest post-Partition crisis & never has India seen a Govt missing in action like this. No control rooms to call, nobody accountable to reach. It’s a governance rout (sic)," he tweeted on Sunday.
Responding to this, Kher, said: Aadarniya @ShekharGupta ji!! Ye kuch zyaada hi ho gaya. Aapke standards se bhi. Corona ek vipda hai. Puri duniya ke liye. Humne iss mahamaari ka saamna pehle kabhi nahi kiya. Sarkar ki aalochana zaruri hai. Unpe tohmat lagaye. Par isse joojhna hum sabki bhi zimmedaari hai. Vaise ghabrae mat. Aayega toh Modi hi!! Jai ho!" [Respected Shekhar Gupta!! This is too much, even by your standards. Corona is a problem for the entire world. We have never faced this pandemic before. It is important to criticise the government. But it is also our responsibility to handle this. Don't worry. Modi will come back! Jai ho!)
Kher’s tweet sparked outrage, with many netizens pointing the state of crumbling primary healthcare facilities in the country, and the rise in COVID-19 death toll.
‘Aayega toh Modi hi’ sounds like teasing the country, said one user.
Anupam Kher's statement that "aayega to modi hi", sounds like teasing the country. #NoVoteTo_EvilModi #AnupamKher https://t.co/eTIVP2Lug1
— Ankush Yadav (@yadavankush925) April 26, 2021
How do you justify allowing the Kumbh gathering of more than half a million people amid pandemic, asked another.
How do you justify allowing the Kumbh gathering of more than half a million people amid pandemic? How do you justify the hypocrisy of conducting massive political roadshows & rallies, then coming over TV & urging people to stay home the same day? #AnupamKher #ModiHaiTohMumkinHai pic.twitter.com/ghsB0gyBlF
— Ayush Saxena (@aayussshh) April 26, 2021
A user said: "Kher should call up people who are out there on the streets struggling for basic medical facilities. He should tell them aayega toh Modi hii, their replies will be the real voice of India."
#AnupamKher should call up people who are out there on the streets struggling for basic medical facilities. He should tell them aayega toh Modi hii, their replies will be the real voice of India. #GetWellSoonPM
— Sahil Sayed (@sahilsayed85) April 25, 2021
The PM is solely responsible for the callous loss and pain India finds herself in, said another.
#AnupamKher in midst of a pandemic where The PM has but disappeared -where the PM is solely responsible for the callous loss and pain india finds herself in -tweets Aayega toh Modi hi -it’s like mocking the people and sticking ur tongue out at them -wow
— Yasmin Kidwai (@YasminKidwai) April 26, 2021
