Earlier last week, CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha member Md Salim took to Twitter to sanctimoniously announce that his party is no longer going to organise any political rally in poll-bound West Bengal in the wake of rising number of coronavirus cases.
On April 16, Salim posted a tweet declaring that since the virus is raging across the country, the CPI(M) has decided not to hold any big political event. In his tweet, he even urged the Prime Minister of India and West Bengal chief minister to act ‘responsibly’ and put the country before the party.
“Important! In the light of the #CoronaSecondWave, the CPI(M) has decided not to hold any big rally to prevent the spread of the virus. We will undertake door-to-door & small group meetings with #COVID measures in place. We urge CM & PM to act responsibly and put people before the party,” Md Salim tweeted.
However, hours after taking the moral high ground and pompously announcing that his party would not be organising any big political event, Md Salim took part in a huge political roadshow organised by CPI(M) at Hemtabad in Bengal for canvassing support for Sanjukta Morcha supported CPI(M) candidate Bhupen Barman.
The development was tweeted by none other than the official Twitter account of CPI(M) Uttar Dinajpur District. A tweet dated April 17, a day after Md Salim claimed that CPI(M) had decided not to organise any political rally in the state, the party presided over a big political roadshow where participants were seen flouting basic social distancing protocols and not wearing masks.
In another instance, on April 18, two days after Md Salim claimed that CPI(M) had called off big political events in the light of the coronavirus outbreak, a public meeting was organised by the party in support of Faud Halim, CPI(M) candidate from the Ballygunj constituency.
Even before comrade Md Salim grandly proclaimed that the CPI(M) would not be organising big political rallies in the midst of a raging coronavirus outbreak in the country, the party had been arranging political events that drew massive crowds, although it has consistently failed in converting them into votes.
Congress is currently in alliance with Left parties for West Bengal polls.
After finishing rallies in poll-bound states, Rahul Gandhi cancels future political rallies citing surging COVID-19 cases
Earlier on Sunday, in an attempt at political grandstanding, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to social media to announce that he will not be addressing any future rallies in West Bengal. The tweet was posted by Rahul Gandhi after he attended several political rallies in all poll-bound states.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that in view of the COVID situation, he is suspending all public rallies in West Bengal with three phases of polling remaining. It is imperative to note here that Rahul Gandhi had continued to hold massive rallies across all poll-bound states, sometimes joined by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite rising COVID cases.
While Rahul Gandhi claimed that he would not attend any political rallies in West Bengal as the coronavirus cases were on the rise, his party members continued having election rallies and public events ahead of the remaining phases of the Bengal elections.
In the last few days, West Bengal has seen a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases reported. On Sunday, the state recorded over 8,000 fresh COVID-19 infections with more than 25 deaths. While the eight-phase assembly election is underway in the state, West Bengal’s COVID-19 caseload has risen to 6,59,927 on Sunday.
According to the health bulletin, the state of West Bengal has recorded 8,419 fresh infections along with 28 fresh fatalities. The 28 fresh fatalities have also pushed the state’s coronavirus death toll to 10,568 the state health bulletin has confirmed on Sunday.
