Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed that 40 lakh Indians died during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the government’s “negligence”, and once again demanded that all families of the deceased be given ₹4 lakh compensation each.
Taking to Twitter, Mr. Gandhi shared the screenshot of a New York Times report which claimed that India was stalling the WHO’s efforts to make global COVID-19 death toll public.
“Modi ji neither speaks the truth, nor lets others speak. He still lies that no one died due to oxygen shortage!” Mr. Gandhi charged in a tweet.
‘Fulfil responsibility’
“I had said earlier also – due to the negligence of the government during Covid, not five lakh, but 40 lakh Indians died,” he said. “Fulfil your responsibility, Modi ji – give compensation of ₹four lakh to every (COVID) victim’s family,” Mr. Gandhi said.
India on Saturday questioned the World Health Organization’s (WHO) methodology to estimate COVID-19 mortalities in the country.
The Congress has been alleging that the government has not released the actual COVID-19 death figures and has demanded a compensation of Rs four lakh to the family members of the deceased. According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday, the death toll from Covid has climbed to 5,21,751 with four fresh fatalities.
