While there is outrage in India as the pandemic is on a mad rampage taking lives with patients gasping for oxygen leaving India in a state of a medical emergency, it is heartbreaking to write in a political frame at this time, but the situation is so grave and citizens are questioning the Prime Minister’s incompetence to handle the devastation. While one does not want to politicize the COVID crisis and everyone should unite to fight COVID, it has to be noted that since the beginning of the pandemic, Rahul Gandhi had said urgently, “India is going to see a Tsunami wave with the COVID crisis, but unfortunately, no one is listening, no one is paying heed!”
There were big massive rallies, ceremonies, and functions even when COVID numbers went up to 50,000 in January and over 2 lakhs. Had the Government of India taken it seriously and maintained COVID norms, India would not have been in this crisis.
A citizen, Samavritti on Twitter documented the series of statements made by PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi during the crisis over last year and this year:
RITA – Rahul Is The Alternative. pic.twitter.com/vYIhYOi0jB
— Samavritti (@samavritti) April 26, 2021
WHAT BJP AND PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI SAID WHEN:
On January 28, 2021, when the COVID cases in India were 50,000, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “India has saved the world from disaster.”
On February 19, 2021, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan attends the launch of Baba Ramdev’s Coronil and while it is claimed that Coronil is approved by WHO, it is neither certified nor approved by WHO, and though Coronil may work as an immune booster, it is dangerous to propagate alternative medicines during a pandemic.
On March 7, 2021, when COVID cases in India were over 50,000, the Health Minister says, “We are in the endgame.”
On March 21, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “A hearty welcome to all the devotees of Mahakumbh.” The Kumbh Mela had an attendance of over 2 million devotees globally, the largest pilgrimage in the world, and many saints were already testing positive.
On March 30, 2021, when there were 100,000, COVID cases in India, the Health Minister said, “The situation is under control.”
On April 4, 2021, when there were 150,000 COVID cases in India, BJP Assam Health Minister said, “There is no COVID in Assam, no need to wear a face mask.”
On April 14, 2021, when there were over 150,000 COVID, BJP Chief Minister in Uttarkhand said, “Ma Ganga’s blessings are there on the flow, so there should be no Corona.” (Top saints and many others were later tested and found to be Corona positive).
On April 17, 2021, when there were 200,000 COVID positive cases in India, Prime Minister Modi was praising the crowds in his Bengal rally saying, “Have never seen such big crowds at a rally!”
WHAT RAHUL GANDHI SAID WHEN:
On February 12, 2020, when there were 45,0000 COVID cases, Rahul Gandhi said, “Covid is an extremely serious threat to people & economy, Govt not taking it seriously.”
On March 17, 2020, when there were 900000 and 13500000 cases, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament, “Indian economy will be devastated. It is like a tsunami is coming.”
Narrating an incident to highlight the gravity of the economic situation, he said that before the tsunami came, the water receded off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and when fishermen went to sea, the tsunami struck.
“So the water is going to come. I have been warning the government that a massive (economic) tsunami is coming and they are fooling about, they are not clear about what to do. India should be preparing itself not just for the COVID-19 virus but for the economic devastation that is coming.”
“I am saying it again and again, nobody is listening to me. I am sorry to say, our people are going to go through unimaginable pain in the next six months,” he said.
An “economic tsunami” is coming and there is going to be an economic shock which will affect crores, he said.
On August 14, 2020, when there were 2, 5, 25, 225 cases of COVID, he said “India needs a vaccine access strategy to ensure availability, affordability, and free and fair distribution.”
On April 7, 2021, when there were 1, 09, 50 020 COVID cases, Rahul Gandhi said, “Coronavirus is not over yet.”
On April 17, 2021, when there were 1, 29, 28, 574 cases he said, “Every Indian deserves a chance to a safe life.”
April 18, when there were 150, 61, 919 cases, Rahul Gandhi said, “I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal.” (however, it is notable that the Prime Minister still continued his massive rallies)
On April 25, 2021, when there were 1, 73, 13, 163, Rahul Gandhi said, “Congress colleagues suspend political activities, serve people, this is our dharma.”
In practical acts of service, Congress Youth workers are reaching out to hospitals, with oxygen and medicine, and money, arranging for hospital beds, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has personally organized oxygen tankers and cylinders to reach Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, monitoring the situation ensuring the oxygen tankers and cylinders reach the hospital and concerned individuals on time.
INC Congress also announced they will provide free vaccination for all in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Punjab stating
access to vaccines is a fundamental right and citizens should not have to pay for it and that it is the government’s duty to ensure everyone gets vaccinated at no cost. Congress says that is exactly how they defeated polio.
INC Congress, Dr. M. B. Patil, MLA-Babaleshwar, former Home & Water Resources Minister of Government of Karnataka has voluntarily slashed treatment prices by 70% at his hospital at Vijayapura, Karnataka, and has reserved 500 oxygen beds for COVID-positive patients. While the Karnataka Government has fixed a tariff of ₹10,000 per day, Dr. Patil’s hospital is charging just ₹3000.
Rahul Gandhi said:
Like employment and development, the central government is not allowing the real data of the corona to reach the public.
The epidemic is not right, the truth of the epidemic has been controlled.
Print
रोज़गार और विकास की तरह केंद्र सरकार कोरोना का असली डेटा भी जनता तक नहीं पहुँचने दे रही।
महामारी ना सही, महामारी का सच तो नियंत्रण में कर ही लिया!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 26, 2021
Like employment and development, the central government is not allowing the real data of the corona to reach the public.
The epidemic is not right, the truth of the epidemic has been controlled.
When Rahul Gandhi made these grave statements, the BJP and even media channels suddenly went berserk on a personal binge against him, who is the four times Member of Parliament, former Congress President. Considering that he was not the Prime Minister, nor the President of the Indian National Congress, the sudden sharpened dagger-edged attacks on him were surprising.
This too at a time when India is reeling under COVID deaths rising, where India seconds the world in the number of cases and deaths in the woldometer charts; with doctors struggling, understaffed, dying, millions terrified with death rates frighteningly increasing. In this entire crazy panorama, to focus on Rahul Gandhi in a bid to taint his “image” and not focus on the Prime Minister looks very strange, indeed.
Saying all this, people are looking more upon him as a prime minister candidate than before, which is why the BJP downplays and ridicules everything he says circulating cartoonish Pappu images on social media. Honestly, but more than ever before, we need someone like Rahul Gandhi as a prime minister as India seems to be sinking into gloomy seas of despair.
The disheartening black-market prices of oxygen and remdesivir during this crisis are bleeding hearts and revealing the level of corruption in India.
In a bruised torn nation, we need a brave, compassionate leader who in great strides of courage treads on dangerous waters for the sake of the nation to protect and build it up. Rahul Gandhi has no fear for his life; one of the most courageous modern-day politicians. He is one of the first few leaders to always speak up first for the helpless and underprivileged, poor and needy.
Well for firsts, he should resume back his role as party President for Congress. Do an online poll or an on-ground poll and discover that Rahul Gandhi is the favorite choice of millions of Congress party workers.
He has organizational skills: The truth is when he took up Youth Congress, he organized it and revived it into the mighty force it is today. If anyone can fire up the nation again, it is the Youth Congress and credit goes to Rahul Gandhi for building it up to this level.
He introduced the election process for the first time in the Youth Congress and NSUI which allowed entry for the gifted and capable with true credentials, not just the rich and powerful. Under his dynamic leadership, Youth Congress saw a jump of 25 lakh primary members which has increased and expanded over the years. He walked with party workers on dusty roads, sat with them, interacted with them, and won their hearts through his personal outreach.
During the COVID-19 crisis, it was the Congress Youth under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi that has reached out tirelessly to struggling citizens and they are there in every crisis under his guidance and leadership.
In States where the Congress party ruled, they waived all the farmers’ loans and kept their electoral promises to them, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
He fought for farmers and workers from Bhatta Parsaul to Barmer and Orissa and got the new pro farmers land acquisition Act, 2012 passed by the Government of India. He has done a remarkable outreach during the COVID-19 crisis to his constituency in Kerala, Wayanad. He has also reached out to his former constituency Amethi with aid.
Rahul Gandhi even joined the demonetization line to talk to the masses standing in that line and get a peek into their difficulties in that situation; he sat in a movie hall just to identify with citizens who watch movies and get a glimpse into their daily lives.
He is the man that insists that the poor farmers and others get their money transferred directly into their bank accounts to put money into the system without it getting trapped by other grabbing agencies. Somehow over these last years, with all the schemes, the poor and middle section never saw the money that was promised because it got lost in the “system.”
The Congress party won 3 States in 2018 and Rahul Gandhi gave all the credit to the local leaders and party workers but when the party performed badly in 2019, he took the responsibility and resigned from the Presidentship. He did all silently and tirelessly and never asked for power, recognition, post, or respect.
He is insightful, “prophetic” as many of the statements he made came out startlingly true, such as his predictions for demonetization which he foresaw as the biggest money-grabbing scam; incidentally, no one got the 15 lakhs promised to them. He frequently warned the government of the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in February, when no other politician paid heed to his warnings, the endemic of joblessness in India, and the list goes on.
He understands the demography of India: India is not like the USA, which can survive as a capitalist country. Does PM Modi realize that the poor will be wiped out completely in a capitalist society in India? In the USA, the middle and poor class have medical insurance, disability benefits, and the State takes care of them when they are jobless, unlike India, where millions will die like flies.
He has the vision to empower the middle class and is already working on lines on how to do it and passionately wants to create jobs for the youth and concretely thinking on how to generate new jobs for the people.
While he resigned as the President of the Congress party, millions of party workers are still not letting him go. The BJP talks about nepotism regarding the Gandhis. This is untrue. Jawaharlal Nehru was chosen by Congress. Indira Gandhi elected by the people. Rajiv Gandhi ordered elections to Lok Sabha and captured a record 401 seats out of 508. Highest ever in the history of India. Sonia Gandhi won the 2009 elections voted in by people as she headed the elections but stepped down. Rahul Gandhi was reticent to be party president but the people want him. Is this dynasty or is this destiny?
He is their choice. On the voting polls both online and on-ground, as a Congress leader, he has already won. He needs to accept Presidentship again and move forward, for we need him at this dark hour in India when the light of democracy is fading into the night of fascism. He is more of a revolutionist than a politician, which is why many cannot understand him.
India needs a leader of integrity who will not endorse vote bank stealing: The man born with a silver spoon in his mouth who had sailed through galaxies of glamour and glaze saw it all and there was nothing new to entrance him, buy him or compromise his stance. He is the Napoleon Bonaparte type of leader who walks with his people and does not order them from a throne or a phone, and this is why they love him.
Echoing many citizens’ voices we say, “It’s up to the people of India now. Either choose the path of empathy or the path of self-destruction.”