Coronavirus: Shashi Tharoor takes swipe at PM Modi after his call for 9 pm light show
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a swing at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, after the PM asked people to turn off their lights and hold lit candles and lamps for nine minutes at 9 pm on Sunday, in what he said would challenge the darkness spread by the Covid-19 crisis".
In his tweet, Shashi Tharoor, who is one of the several Congress leaders to have expressed disagreement with the government over its processing of the coronavirus outbreak, railed against the Prime Minister for falling back on "auspicious elements Hinduism associates with (the) number 9" and exclaimed: "#COVID19 must be more serious than we thought!"
"This is no accident: the PM spoke on Ram Navami at 9 am for 9 minutes, asked us to light diyas & candles on 5/4 at 9 pm for 9 minutes. He is invoking all the auspicious elements Hinduism associates with number 9. Back to Ram Bharose?! (trusting Lord Ram)," Shashi Tharoor wrote.
This is no accident: the PM spoke on Ram Navami at 9 am for 9 mins, asked us to light diyas & candles on 5/4 at 9 pm for 9 mins. He is invoking all the auspicious elements Hinduism associates with number 9. Back to Ram Bharose?! #COVID19 must be more serious than we thought!
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 3, 2020
Soon after the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala shared the tweet, Twitter users cited Ram Navami (a nine day Hindu festival to commemorate Lord Ram’s birth) concluded Thursday and today was Dashami.
This was Shashi Tharoor’s second tweet in response to India's Photo-Op Prime Minister".
"Listened to the Pradhan Showman. Nothing about how to ease people's pain, their burdens, their financial anxieties. No vision of the future or sharing the issues he is weighing in deciding about the post-lockdown. Just a feel-good moment curated by India's Photo-Op Prime Minister!" he had said.
Listened to the Pradhan Showman. Nothing about how to ease people’s pain, their burdens, their financial anxieties. No vision of the future or sharing the issues he is weighing in deciding about the post-lockdown. Just a feel-good moment curated by India’s Photo-Op PrimeMinister!
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 3, 2020
Earlier in the day, in his second address to the nation, PM Modi asked people to practice social distancing and stay at home to slash the spread of the coronavirus. The Prime Minister also called for the 9 pm show of light, saying it will introduce the virus to "the power of light".
PM Modi’s video message magnetized instant criticism and cutting remark, with TMC leader Mahua Moitra in front of the pack.
The TMC leader, who has attacked the government for not being able to provide economic support for migrant workers and those badly hit by the virus outbreak tweeted, "Get real Mr Modi".
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Turn out lights & come on balconies?
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 3, 2020
GET REAL MR. MODI!
Give India fiscal pkg worth 8-10pc of GDP
Ensure immediate wages to construction & other labour during lockdown- laws exist permitting this
Stop gagging real press in name of curbing fake news
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who had earlier supported the lockdown, dubbed the measures to increase growth and said, "serious thought to ideas and measures" was as important as symbolism.
"Dear PM Narendra Modi, We will listen to you and light diyas on April 5. But, in return, please listen to us and to the wise counsel of epidemiologists and economists," he tweeted.
The people are disappointed on both counts.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 3, 2020
Symbolism is important, but serious thought to ideas and measures is equally important.@PMOIndia @nsitharamanoffc
56 people have lost their lives after being infected by the SARS-CoV-2, the Union Health Ministry stated on Friday, with six of those deaths being reported in a 24 hours span. Across the country the number of confirmed cases is now 2,301, with 336 new cases detected in the past 24 hours.
First published: 3 April 2020, 18:16 IST