The row over the alleged suppression of COVID-19 deaths in Madhya Pradesh and the 'Indian variant' comment by former chief minister Kamal Nath continued on Sunday as well.
Even as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Nath of indulging in political opportunism over deaths and termed his comments on 'Indian variant' as seditious, the Congress leader retorted saying the CM should stop making 'crying face' and indulging in dramatics to divert people's attention and asked Chouhan respond to the questions raised by him (Nath).
The MP BJP filed a complaint against Nath with the Bhopal crime branch, demanding registration of criminal case against him for his statements regarding COVID-19 variant and alleged comment 'aag laga do' (spread fire) in a viral video. Minister Vishvas Sarang and MLAs Rameshwar Sharma and Krishna Gaur were among those who submitted the complaint at Bhopal crime branch.
An FIR was registered against Nath by Bhopal crime branch under Section 188 of IPC and Section 54 of Disaster Management Act following the complaint by the BJP.
However, the MP Congress claimed that the FIR has been based on false and baseless complaint and added that the party will continue to expose true facts and data related to the pandemic.
The Congress released a list of links of recent news reports by national and international media where the term 'Indian variant' was used for COVID-19 variant. In the accompanying tweet, the MP Congress said, "See, who and when said 'Indian variant. BJP should stop making false allegations on Kamal Nath ji. He (Kamal Nath) expressed concern on the term Indian variant during his media interaction and to BJP it seems like sedition. Shivraj ji, how is trying to save the dignity of country sedition?"
Kamal Nath, reacting to the accusations made against him by the BJP, said the allegation of use of term 'Bharat covid' against him was false and he had used the term on the basis of news reports by international media and also the statements of global heads of states.
Nath tweeted that due to the negligence and inefficiency of those in responsible positions, thousands were dead without getting treatment, hospital beds, life-saving drugs and Oxygen. Even place was not available for last rites and bodies had to be flown in river or buried on river banks, he said, and added that such people are now shamelessly making applications for FIR against him because he had exposed their reality before the people of the country and state. “FIR should be registered against these people because they are criminally responsible for deaths of thousands of people by not making adequate arrangements to save them despite being repeatedly warned of the impending second wave (of COVID-19),” he added.
The Congress leader also urged people who lost their dear ones due to inadequate medical facilities and people whose loved ones were lost to COVID-19 but whose deaths were not officially registered as deaths due to pandemic to file FIR against the chief minister and the ministers of state government.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, CM Chouhan and Nath exchanged a war of words. Chouhan said even as the state government was making all out efforts to control COVID-19 and was slowly becoming successful in the endeavour, Kamal Nath was looking for chances to play cheap politics. “I was hopeful that in the current crisis situation, all political parties will work in a united manner, but it is painful to see that Kamal Nath is trying to break the morale of the people in the country and the state. Does it behove Kamal Nath to use terms like 'Bharat Covid' or 'Indian variant', does it behove the Congress or Sonia Gandhi ji. Will this not hurt the dignity of the country. Does this not amount to sedition?” Chouhan said.
The CM added that even a single death was painful, but sought to know if there haven't been deaths in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan (non-BJP ruled states) or elsewhere in the world. “Each death is a burden on my heart and we are trying to provide as much relief as possible to the affected families. But deaths do not grieve you (Kamal Nath). You find opportunism in deaths and give statements like spread fire. I condemn such cheap mentality,” Chouhan said.
Kamal Nath issued a long statement in response, asking Chouhan not to be a 'crybaby' and to respond to the questions raised by him regarding suppression of COVID-19 death figures and unavailability of medical facilities. Nath said the entire country knows that whenever these is an opportunity, the BJP and its leaders play politics of diversion and play up false issues.
“When thousands are dying untimely across the state and the country, the PM is indulging in drama of shedding tears and the chief minister is making a crying face and seeking replies from me,” Nath said. He added that as head of state, Chouhan should concentrate on relief for people in COVID-19 and black fungus crisis and deal with the opposition later. Nath reiterated that he or the Congress will not tolerate suppression of truth and dared the chief minister to announce exact figures of deaths due to COVID-19 through official records of crematoriums/graveyards, rather than hurl accusations at him.
Besides, a slew of Congress leaders took to the social media to condemn the attempt to get a case registered against Kamal Nath and asked the state government to make actual death figures public.
