The second wave of COVID-19 in India hit a milestone with over 4 lakh cases in a single day. With rising COVID-19 cases, India's healthcare system crumbled too as the country struggled to provide oxygen, hospital and ICU beds, ventilators and other resources.
This brought netizens together as they extended help to people in need. At the same time, netizens questioned the government and asked about details of PM Cares Fund and revenue from the taxes citizens paid.
Earlier, amid rising cases, celebrations at Kumbh Mela, PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally during West Bengal Assembly Elections too were questioned. CM Mamata Banerjee had blamed BJP for the rise in COVID-19 cases. At the same time, rallies in other poll-bound states too were criticised. Kumbh Mela too saw a huge crowd resulting in thousands testing positive for COVID-19 and the returnees turned into super-spreaders.
Meanwhile, Delhi witnessed an eerie reality: patients running from pillar to post searching for hospital beds, morgues running out of stretchers and the cremation grounds bursting at the seams with funeral pyres.
Back to the wall, people even utilised parking lots near cremation grounds to give the Covid-stricken some semblance of dignity in their final moments.
What the netizens are now really upset about is Mann ki Baat. PM Modi's monthly radio Mann Ki Baat's official Twitter handle in a tweet asked netizens to share inspiring stories to celebrate the power of positivity. "This month's #MannKiBaat is back again - to celebrate the power of positivity and the strengths of 130 crore Indians! Have any inspiring story to share with PM Shri Narendra Modi? Share now!" read the post.
Well, the post did not bode well. Furious Twitterati said that with so many people dying and many suffering, it is not a time one should celebrate.
Some reminded the government of the decomposed bodies found in Ganga while others reminded of the surging deaths due to lack of medical infrastructure. For the uninitiated, a large number of bloated corpses were seen floating in the river bed in the Chausa block of Buxar district on Monday, triggering shock waves.
Though some news channels claimed these were of COVID-19 patients who might have been abandoned by resource-starved family members or dumped by callous officials, the local administration had strongly denied the same, asserting that none of the deceased was a local resident, and the bodies had flown downstream from adjoining UP districts. Bodies were found on the banks of the Ganga at adjoining Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh too, an official said on Tuesday.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too hit out at PM Modi.
A Twitter user wrote, "Inspiring story? Sure. 100s of dead bodies have been dumped in the Ganga and Yamuna. What does PM have to say about it?"
Another said, "Yup. Lots of positivity. That's the problem."
An exasperated Twitter user went on to share a story of a friend who is now in need of oxygen but is struggling to find one. "Here’s a positive story, my friend who volunteers with me on ground tested positive while helping people and now he needs an oxygen bed and we’re struggling to get him one. We’re doing YOUR job for you. We should all be PMs. Kindly resign," read the post.
Netizens urged the PM to listen to "Jann ki Baat" amid times of crisis.
Check out reactions here
