On April 11, ‘Health and Science journalist’ Vidya Krishnan took to Twitter to express her displeasure over the mask worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Chief Ministers of all States over the issue of extension of the nationwide lockdown that was imposed on March 24, in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak.
Ah, wearing a facemask for a zoom meeting.
— Vidya (@VidyaKrishnan) April 11, 2020
Sums up India’s COVID response, which is high on tokenism & low on common sense to a T. https://t.co/iHBIdxjRJ2
She claimed that the Prime Minister wearing a mask during video conference somehow suggested ‘tokenism’ and lack of ‘common sense’ in India’s response to the Chinese virus. While India has been lauded by the likes of the World Health Organisation for its efforts in containing the pandemic, Vidya Krishnan left no stone unturned in correlating two mutually independent events.
Having said that, I like not having to see Voldemort’s face. I hope this is a permanent change.
— Vidya (@VidyaKrishnan) April 11, 2020
It is indeed a matter of common sense that the Prime Minister needs to wear a mask during the video conference because is not alone at that time. The prime minister is surrounded by officials at all times and often in close proximity. The PM is also constantly surrounded by SPG commandos are per security protocol. The mask is not meant for protection during the video conference but rather from the people who stay in his vicinity. Though wearing masks is not mandatory for everyone, but covering the nose and mouth can prevent droplet infection and thus the transmission of virulent diseases.
Moreover, while Vidya Krishnan, who has emerged as one of the harshest critics of India’s response to Coronavirus, claims that India’s response is high on tokenism and low on common sense, the reality is actually the opposite. Despite being having the second-highest population in the world, lack of proper healthcare facilities for all, and high population densities, India has managed the COVID-19 pandemic well so far. Despite the first cases were detected in January, India’s total infections are still below 10,000, way behind first world’s countries like USA, Italy, UK etc. While many of those countries have reached community transmission or stage two, India is still at the second stage, which means the source of the infection can be traced. Moreover, almost half of India’s total coronavirus cases are linked to one event, the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi, without which India’s numbers would have been much better.
The Indian govt imposed total lockdown in the country even when the COVID-19 positive cases were less than one thousand, which has succeeded in preventing mass transmission of the virus. Not only India has managed to keep Coronavirus numbers relatively low, the country is also helping other countries by delivering them the Hydroxychloroquine, the Malaria and Arthritis drug which has emerged as successful in combating the virus.
Besides, making a mockery of herself, she also compared PM Modi to Harry porter’s villain named ‘Voldemort’ who had a distorted nose in the fantasy book penned by author J.K. Rowling. Anyone with an iota of rationale and logic left in them would have refrained from exhibiting such stupidity. But for the Hate-Modi brigade, this is an everyday affair. Nevertheless, the miffed netizens did not mince any words before slamming her.
In a reply to her tweet, columnist and tax lawyer Amrita Bhinder asked Vidya Krishnan about the people in the vicinity of the Prime Minister. She explained the journalist-cum-troll to be aware of the fact that the Prime Minister cannot be left on his own during an official meeting.
He may be on camera, but what about those around him?
— Amrita Bhinder (@amritabhinder) April 11, 2020
You would know he can’t be alone given he’s the Prime Minister, in any official set-up?
Come on. Give it a break.
A Twitter user (@AnandHumour) pointed out how a section of journalists who were once medical experts on HCQ and IT experts today will soon reach NASA if their trend of expertise continued.
Ah, yesterday’s hydroxychloroquine experts are today’s zoom meeting experts, NASA door nahin hai inse… 😂
— Angad Iyer (@AnandHumor) April 11, 2020
Common sense is indeed uncommon among ‘experts’ these days. Avinesh said while stating the obvious fact that the Prime Minister has medical staff and security team in his vicinity. He also questioned the rationale behind her name ‘Vidya’, which means knowledge.
He has Meeting staff, security force, media persons. Name Vidya aur akal ghanta kuchh nhi
— Avnijesh (@Avnijesh) April 11, 2020
Another Twitter user, Rakesh Rao while taking a jibe at Vidya Krishnan for her reference to “Voldemort”shared a GIF of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping with a caption, “He is so proud of you.”
He is so proud of you pic.twitter.com/WKJId6Sv00
— Rakesh Rao 🇮🇳 (@sadarakesh) April 11, 2020
Yogi Patel, in response to Vidya’s tweet, shared a ‘Ramayana meme’ and compared her to ‘Supnakha’, the sister of Ravana whose nose was axed by Laxman.
— Yogi Patel (@TheYogiPatel) April 11, 2020
Earlier, the featured image of the article titled- “The Callousness of India’s COVID-19 Response“, penned by Vidya Krishnan in ‘The Atlantic’, showed a distorted version of the Indian flag in which the much hallowed Ashok Chakra in the Indian flag was replaced by the artistic image of deadly pathogen- Novel Coronavirus. The sanctity of a nation’s flag is inviolable. However, the hatred for PM Modi amongst some individuals like Vidya is so intense that they have no qualms in eroding the sanctity of the national flag if it helps their propaganda of showing the Modi government in the bad light.
