Taking a dig at the Narendra Modi Government, Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member and MP Sanjay Raut said here on Russia had given first lessons in ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) by coming out with vaccine for Covid-19, while India was busy in marketing ‘Bhabhiji Papads’ by claiming that it was a remedy to build immunity against coronavirus.
In a somewhat tongue-in-cheek but critical Sunday column “Roktok” published in the Shiv Sena’s official mouth-piece “Saamana”, Raut said: “At a time when India unleashed a wave of ‘Bhabhiji Papads’, Russia went ahead and came out with a vaccine for Coronavirus and that too without bothering to take World Health Organisation (WHO) into confidence. That’s why we call Russia a super power”.
“At the international level, an effort is on to term the vaccine produced by Russia as illegal. On his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin even administered it to his Corona-hit daughter and created confidence in his country’s over its efficacy. In fact, Russia has given first lessons of in ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance). On our part, we (India) are still giving lectures on ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance), Raut said.
Maintaining that Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Arjun Ram Meghwal brought ‘Bhabhiji Papads’ into the Indian market by claiming that the people eating these Papads would not be infected by Coronavirus, Raut said: “Meghwal has gone record saying that even if you are infected by Corornavirus, your immunity will increase because of ‘Bhabhiji Papads’ and you will be able to neutralise the virus. Meghwal who claimed papad would help fight Covid-19 has himself tested positive for Covid-19. So the Bhabhiji’s balloon has burst”.
Alluding to the campaign launched by the AYUSH ministry that Ayurvedic drugs were efficacious in fighting Coronavirus, Raut said: “Ayush ministry officials are claiming Ayurvedic drugs can cure Covid-19. .... Incidentally AYUSH minister Sripad Naik is one of the six ministers in the Ministers in the Union Cabinet who are down with Coronavirus”.
“More than half a dozen ministers in the Centre are down with Corona, former President Pranab Mukherjee is affected, even Amit Shah recently came out unscathed by the virus… Only Russia went ahead and brought the vaccine and did not even bother to ask the World Health Organisation (WHO). That’s called a superpower,” the Sena MP said in his anecdotal column ‘Rokthok’.
Demanding to know if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get himself quarantined for coming in contact with Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust Chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Raut said: 85-year-old Mahant Nritya Das tested positive for Coronavirus. Mahant shared the stage at the Ram Temple foundation stone ceremony on August 5 along with Prime Minister Modi. He was not even seen wearing a mask… He had come in contact with Modi and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, the PM even shook hands with the Mahant. Now that we know Mahant has tested positive for Coronavirus, will the Prime Minister quarantine himself?”
“Amit Shah is in isolation because of coronavirus. Former President Pranab Mukherjee has been infected by the virus and his condition is critical,” Raut said.
Like Mumbai, even New Delhi is in the grip of the Coronavirus. Like in Mumbai, there is a scare among the people in Delhi over Covid-19. “Union ministers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials getting infected. Even when there were riots in Delhi, fear was not that much as is the case with Covid-19. Yes People would fear Modi and Shah, but the fear instilled by Coronavirus is much more, “ the Sena spokesperson said.
“There are no political interactions, even the I-Day celebrations were muted, there are no protests, the situation was not so bad during riots or wars. There was a fear of Modi and Shah, but the Corona scare is greater,” the Sena leader asserted.
“The Government has announced that 14 crore people have become unemployed now, but the government does not seem to be running the country even in Delhi,” Raut added.
