Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the BJP dispensation of "being in a slumber" and appealed to the youth to tweet photos and videos about shortages of oxygen, beds and medicine in the wake of a surge in COVID-19 cases to "wake up the government". He also alleged that it was due to the "failed system" of the BJP government that India's image has been maligned globally. 

"I appeal to youths of the country especially of UP to tweet audio-video, photo of shortage of oxygen, beds and medicines keeping themselves safe. This may wake up the BJP government which is in slumber," Yadav tweeted with hashtags ''let us unmute'' and ''yuva mukhar ho (speak up youths)''. 

Terming the second wave of COVID-19 as a ''national crisis'', the Supreme Court on Friday warned authorities, from the Centre down to police chiefs, against silencing people and their pleas for help on the presumption that they are raising false grievances on the Internet. 

The top court made clear that any attempt to clampdown on the free flow of information on social media including the call for help from people would be treated as contempt of court. 

"In this pandemic, the image of the country has maligned globally due to the failed system of the BJP government at Centre and also in the state. Many countries had banned travel from India while some have issued advisory for their citizens to leave India," the SP chief said in a statement issued here. 

Despite all this, the BJP is "not shedding its ego and instead of taking support of opposition it is trying to malign their image also", he alleged. 

"Covid was controlled abroad with the support of all. Here, the chief minister is playing with the lives of people only to take credit for the good work," Yadav said. 

"Nobody is listening to the common man. There are no medicines in hospitals despite tall claims of the government. While treatment is not available under the BJP's rule, the funeral is free. The government is also fudging death data," the SP chief alleged. said. 

He claimed that 706 teachers deployed on panchayat poll duty died due to the COVID-19 and over 10,000 of them are infected but are being forced into counting duty on May 2. 

Yadav also reiterated his demand that Rs 50 lakh each should be given to the kin of health workers, teachers, journalists who died due to COVID-19.