Rahul Gandhi discontinues to hold public rallies in West Bengal due to Covid-19 surge

Due to the current Covid-19 situation in the nation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday discontinued his political campaigning for the West Bengal assembly elections.

In light of the Covid situation in West Bengal, Rahul Gandhi tweeted that he is suspending all of his public rallies in the state of West Bengal. Mr Gandhi has cautioned political leaders against organising massive public rallies in his tweet.

Gandhi tweeted, “In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal. I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances.”

In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal.

I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 18, 2021

West Bengal is currently holding an eight-phased assembly election, which has seen almost all political parties hold rallies and campaigning activities despite the delicate situation of the Covid-19 virus and have quite indiscreetly defied health and safety protocols imposed by the Health Ministry.

An Election Commission order regarding campaign curfew read as, “Silence period for rallies, public meetings, street plays, nukkadsabha, bike rallies or any gathering for campaigning purposes shall be extended to 72 hours before the end of the poll for Phase 6, Phase 7 and Phase 8 in the State of West Bengal."

Congress leaders have been critical of the BJP’s political campaign in the state, with former Union Minister P Chidambaram calling out Prime Minister Narendra Modi for P Chidambaram displaying "shocking callousness" by speaking at rallies in West Bengal "instead of staying in Delhi" to deal with the unprecedented spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Chidambaram took to Twitter to take a jab at the Prime Minister, thanking him for ‘sparing a little time for Covid’.

Thank you Prime Minister for sparing a little time for Covid amidst the urgent war to conquer WEST BENGAL and annexe it to the BJP’s empire

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 18, 2021

Just days before the fifth phase of voting, West Bengal recorded 6,910 new infections and 26 casualties. There are currently 41,047 positive active cases in the state.