'Obstructing me from doing my duty...': Mansukh Mandaviya on questions over letter to Rahul Gandhi

Congress on Wednesday reacted sharply to Mansukh Mandaviya's letter and accused the government of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra over Covid concerns.

Pic: ANI

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya's letter to Rahul Gandhi over postponing Bharat Jodo Yatra in wake of the Covid-19 outbreak in China has triggered a massive political row. Congress on Wednesday reacted sharply to Mandaviya's letter and accused the government of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra over Covid concerns. It pointed to the BJP taking out marches in Karnataka and Rajasthan, and asserted public health is far too serious an issue to play party politics on. Reacting to Congress' criticism, Mansukh Mandaviya said to news agency ANI, "It is my duty to ensure that Covid19 doesn't spread in the country. If someone thinks that how can a minister question them, then what can we do about their mindset.""Questioning me on this is like obstructing me from doing my duty," news agency ANI quoted Mandaviya as saying.

Citing reasons to send the letter to Rahul Gandhi, the Union Health Minister said, "three Rajasthan MPs had written to him that a number of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra participants have been detected Covid19 positive. Himachal Pradesh' s CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who tested positive after attending this yatra."

"To ensure that Covid 19 doesn't spread in Rajasthan, I took experts' views & wrote to Rahul Gandhi stating that Covid protocol should be followed in Bharat Jodo Yatra," news agency ANI quoted Mandaviya as saying.

3 Rajasthan MPs had written to me that a number of
Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra participants have been detected Covid19 positive. Himachal Pradesh CM also tested positive after attending this yatra: Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya pic.twitter.com/OPaPcQvfGl

— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2022

In a statement on Wednesday, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Union health minister has written to Gandhi on the basis of a letter sent to him by a BJP MP from Rajasthan who alleges that Bharat Jodo Yatra has not been following Covid protocols.

"This MP's letter was sent following the enormous success of Bharat Jodo Yatra in his state," Ramesh said.

"Parliament is meeting normally. Masks are no longer compulsory anywhere including on flights. The BJP has taken out yatras in Rajasthan and Karnataka. There has been no advisory from the Centre to states of late except the one issued yesterday on genome sequencing," he said.

Ramesh also underlined that in March 2020, the Modi government allegedly "delayed" imposition of lockdown by at least a week to enable the toppling of the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.

Reacting to Mandaviya's letter, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "We also understand that there is a huge response across the country to the Bharat Jodo Yatra and there is a lot of crowd here."

Khera pointed out that the BJP was taking out yet another yatra in Karnataka.

"Has the health minister also sent this letter to the Karnataka BJP. We want to know. Today, if you were to travel by air, nobody will ask you to wear a mask or use a sanitiser," he said.

(With agency inputs)