'Congress 'beta' is wrong': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for doing politics over Covid-19 deaths

Accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of doing politics over Covid-19 deaths, the BJP on Friday said that both --the World Health Organisation's (WHO) data and Congress' 'beta' (son)-- are wrong. Addressing a press conference at party headquarters here, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that methodology to calculate the estimated death due to Covid-19 by the WHO is flawed and the Government of India had conveyed its objections to the global health body.

"Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly tried to sully Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image since 2014 and in the process, has harmed India's image. India has a proper mechanism for registration of birth and death. The WHO's data and the Congress' 'beta' (Rahul Gandhi) are wrong," he said.

Patra asked for death analysis of BJP and non-BJP ruled states. He noted that the way India fought Covid under leadership of Prime Minister Modi is an example for the whole world. "In such a situation, it is very saddening to do politics over death figures. India has fought Covid better than developed countries," he said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that almost 15 million deaths globally were directly or indirectly associated with the Covid-19 pandemic by the end of 2021. Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "47 lakh Indians died due to the Covid pandemic. NOT 4.8 lakh as claimed by the Govt. Science doesn't LIE. Modi does. Respect families who've lost loved ones. Support them with the mandated Rs 4 lakh compensation."

On Thursday, the union health ministry said: "India has objected to the methodology adopted by the WHO to project excess mortality estimates based on mathematical models."