War of Words Erupts Between BJP, Congress After Kamal Nath Refers to Covid-19 as Indian Variant

Bhopal: A war of words has erupted over Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath claiming that Covid-19 is now referred to as ‘Indian variant’, following which the BJP had lodged a complaint with police late evening on Sunday.

The case against him was registered based on a complaint lodged by Bhopal BJP district president Sumeet Pachouri and two BJP MLAs – Vishwas Sarang and Rameshwar Sharma – among others. Nath was charged under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the IPC and section 54 (making or circulating a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic) of the National Disaster Management Act 2005.

Nath is accused of branding Covid-19 as an Indian variant and also reportedly was seen in a viral video ‘saying it’s time to ignite fire’, “Ye to aag lagane ka samy hai.” Nath later had called the video ‘doctored’.

The Congress leaders led by former Public Relations minister PC Sharma also reached the Crime Branch police station on Monday and lodged a complaint against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for hiding death figures and fuelling confusion. Similarly, the Congress leaders also submitted a complaint to police in Indore on similar grounds.

Nath on Sunday had urged kin of those who died of Corona and medical negligence to lodge police complaints against the CM and his ministers.

He had also demanded FIRs from relatives of those dead whose data is not listed in government records.

Meanwhile, a war of words has been triggered among the leaders of the BJP and those of the Congress party.

On Monday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged that the Congress, instead of helping the State government in fighting coronavirus, observing festival on deaths. He has urged Congress President Sonia Gandhi to clear her stand whether she agrees to what Nath is saying and is playing a Dhritrashtra, or if she opposes it, then she should act against the MPCC head.

BJP State head VD Sharma on Sunday had called Kamal Nath a ‘Chinese agent’ and ‘traitor” and demanded that Nath be thrown into jail.

Congress also fired all cylinders to oppose the action. Party spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta had claimed that 21 media houses have used the term ‘Indian variant’ and the party will keep reports of these publications as evidence before the police. He also dared the BJP to act on these publications.

Congress Working President Jitu Patwari also claimed that FIR should have been lodged on those because of whom the public was left to die in pain but it was registered against Kamal Nath.

Senior lawyer and the RS member Vivek Tankha had trashed the FIR in his tweets claiming that the Centre itself had presented Covid-19 as ‘Indian Double Mutant Strain’ in para 33 of the affidavit submitted with the Supreme Court of India. “Distorting Kamal Nath ji’s statement, a worthless FIR has been registered,” said Tankha asking the BJP to apologise to Nath.

Nath had said these things in a virtual press meeting couple of days ago, where he had also claimed that MP lost over one lakh persons to Covid-19 in the last two months, a claim which was vehemently opposed by the BJP.

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