New Delhi: As Delhi continues to choke with rapidly rising COVID-19 cases and the failure of the administration palpable to address the crisis, an RSS functionary came out in the open slamming the BJP for its “virtual absence” in the national capital to attend to the fast unfolding crisis, the Indian Express has reported.
“There is fire everywhere in Delhi, has any Dilli wala seen BJP Delhi?” Rajiv Tuli, RSS Delhi state executive member, wrote on Twitter.
“Where is BJP4Delhi? Or is the state body dissolved?” continued Tuli, the former prant prachar pramukh of the Delhi unit of the RSS.
Tuli’s tweet is reflective of a growing impatience and helplessness in the Sangh parivar of the Modi government’s mishandling of the second wave of the pandemic.
“Even in Delhi, we have not been visible helping out as an organisation…the Delhi high court has done more to hold the government to account than we have,” the Indian Express quoted a BJP leader from Delhi as saying.
When Sangh’s national publicity in-charge Sunil Ambekar was questioned about Tuli’s remark, he said, “It could be his personal opinion but this is not adhikrit mat (official version) of the Sangh,” PTI quoted him as saying. Ambekar added that the Sangh and its affiliate organisations such as Sewa Bharati are working day and night to provide relief in the affected areas and to the families.
A Delhi BJP leader said that though BJP MPs and its youth workers are helping out people on the ground, there could have been better coordination to function as a cohesive unit. He also said while the last time, during the first wave, people were in the need of food and ration, this time around there is a dearth of oxygen, hospital beds, and remdesivir, which, according to him, only administration can help with. Therefore, he said, it is wrong to expect opposition to arrange the same in huge numbers.
Reacting to Tuli’s tweets, another BJP leader said that his party, which is in power in civic bodies, could have actually used baraat ghars (wedding halls) or schools for people who cannot quarantine at home due to several reasons.
However, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, when asked about Tuli’s tweets, said he does not know Tuli and is unaware of his tweets. General secretary of BJP’s Delhi unit, Harsh Malhotra, said he would not want to comment on Tuli’s remarks and added: “Since April 21, three helpline numbers are running 24×7. They are doing two kinds of work — one is a doctor on call in which a panel of doctors looks after patients on the phone and second is arranging food for patients and their families.”
Note: This article was updated with the statement of RSS national publicity in-charge, Sunil Ambekar.
(With PTI inputs)