Suspending all my rallies in West Bengal, says Rahul Gandhi amid COVID surge

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that he was suspending all his public rallies in West Bengal in view of the coronavirus situation. "I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal. I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances," Gandhi tweeted. 

Gandhi had earlier alleged that the Central government's "arrogance and suppression of truth is killing people". His statements came amid a massive surge in coronavirus, with a record single-day rise of 2,61,500 infections taking India's total tally to 1,47,88,109 on Sunday.

He suggested that a clear vaccine strategy and income support are needed to contain the damage due to the virus. "We need humility, a clear vaccine strategy, and income support to contain this virus and related damage."

"GOI's mix of arrogance and suppression of the truth is killing lakhs of people," he said in a tweet.

In a video attached to a tweet, he hit out a what he called the "constant declaration of victory" and a "sense of arrogance" on the part of the government with its claim that"we have done it". "It is the nature of this government, the way of their action, that is causing this problem," he alleged.

The former Congress chief alleged that the government "has taken off all our warning systems and shut them down." "And, we are in the middle of the ocean and a storm. And, now the ship has no idea where to go," he said on the situation arising out of the pandemic.

In another tweet, he also accused the prime minister of being responsible for the current COVID situation in the country.

-Inputs from PTI