Congress weakening India's fight against Covid, providing tools to Pakistan: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress of working to "weaken" India's fight against COVID-19, and alleged that the opposition party "provided" tools to countries like Pakistan to defame India.

Citing the alleged remarks of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath that India is not great but infamous following the spread of the infectious disease, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia sought to know the Congress' stand on his comments and claimed that defaming India has become a priority for its leaders.

Noting that the senior Congress leader had earlier controversially described a Covid variant that originated in India as the "Indian variant", Bhatia alleged at a virtual press conference that whatever he says is done at the behest of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"What Kamal Nath says is the Congress' ideology and does so on behalf of Sonia Gandhi. Defaming India has become your priority. Why is the Congress silent at his abhorrent statement? Why is Sonia Gandhi silent? Does she agree with him?" Bhatia asked.

He also cited comments of other senior Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor to claim that the opposition party has been making "irresponsible" statements to weaken India's fight against Covid.

Referring to a media report in Pakistan, the BJP spokesperson alleged that the term Indian variant used by it had "originated" at the Congress headquarters.

The opposition party has provided tools that are used by countries like Pakistan to target India, he alleged.

He also took strong exception to Rahul Gandhi's use of "nautanki" barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bhatia noted that Modi had turned emotional while speaking to healthcare workers recently and asked if this was "nautanki" (drama).

The Congress had shed tears for terrorists killed in the Batla House encounter in 2008, he alleged and said people know whose tears are sincere.