WB Election: Rahul Gandhi Cancels Public Rallies Amid Covid Crisis, Priyanka Asks PM Modi To 'End Hypocrisy'

Rahul Gandhi's announcement comes as concerns have been raised on mass gathering at political rallies in poll-bound West Bengal which is undergoing extensive election period with 8 long phases.

New Delhi: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has announced that he is suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal because of the current Coronavirus situation in the country.

This comes as concerns have been raised on mass gathering at political rallies in poll-bound West Bengal which is undergoing extensive election period with 8 long phases.

"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 wrote in a tweet.

On Saturday, PM Narendra Modi's statement about the size of the crowd at his rally in Asansol irked a section of people including opposition leaders.

PM Modi spoke how not even one-fourth of the crowd size he was seeing there had attended his previous rallies several years back when he came to campaign in the region. 

"But today, I am seeing such a gathering/sabha for the first time," he said. "Today you have shown such strength, wherever I look I only see people and nothing else," he added.

The Prime Minister then goes on to ask people to vote. However, as the statement was reported, it was criticised by opposition leaders and a section of people raising questions over how it appears to appreciate mass gathering at a time when the country is battling a second wave of Coronavirus pandemic.

Through a tweet, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked PM Modi to "end this hypocrisy".

Rahul Gandhi also jibed at the Prime Minister's statement writing: "Seeing such a crowd of the ill and deceased for the first time".

Meanwhile, as the political rallies attracting mass crowds continue with election phases going on as per schedule, India has once again recorded a single-day rise of Covid 2,34,692 cases and 1,341 fatalities pushing the total case tally to 1,45,26,609 and the death toll to 1,75,649.

PM Modi meanwhile said that all necessary measures must be taken to ramp up the availability of hospital beds for Covid patients as he chaired a review meeting to take stock of the Covid situation across the country on Saturday. The additional supply of beds through temporary hospitals and isolation centers should be ensured, he directed.