Owaisi questions PM Modi praising UP's COVID handling; reminds of bodies found in Ganga

Slamming PM Modi's praise for UP govt's COVID handling in the second wave, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday, claimed that the PM had forgotten the victims' kin's suffering. Talking to reporters in UP's Sambhal, Owaisi reminded PM Modi of the floating bodies found in the Ganga during the second wave, adding that PM's praise for the Yogi government had rub salt to their wounds. Urging the Centre and UP govt to accept its failed COVID handling, he pointed out that PM Modi was elected from a UP constituency. Owaisi is currently on a visit to UP ahead of state polls in February 2022.

Owaisi slams PM Modi's praise for Yogi

"Instead of accepting the Centre's and UP govt's failure during the second COVID wave, PM Modi has forgotten the 2-3 lakh deaths which were seen floating in the Ganga. It is sad that the PM, who has been elected from this state, comes to the same state and rub slat on lakhs of families' wounds. If he had accepted his failure, the victims' kin would have felt a minor relief that the PM understands their grief," said the Hyderabad MP.

On Thursday, while inaugurating the 'Rudraksh' Convention Centre at Varanasi, PM Modi described UP's COVID fight as 'remarkable' and specifically hailed Kashi while mentioning that city proved that it will not stop no matter what. Highlighting the Centre's free vaccine distribution, PM Modi hailed UP's medical infrastructure which he said had enhanced over four times under the Yogi regime with more medical colleges, oxygen plant centers, hospitals and several other projects which are currently under pipeline. This will help UP strongly fight any future wave of coronavirus, opined PM Modi. 

"With 14 Oxygen Plants being set up in Banaras, and every area having hospitals with the availability of essentials for children Kashi is emerging as the biggest medical hub of Purvanchal. There was a time when people had to visit Mumbai, Delhi for treatment but now every facility is available in the city," said PM Modi. Comparing the Yogi govt to previous SP and BSP govts, he said that earlier even minor issues seemed huge in Uttar Pradesh due to lack of focus.

Bodies spotted in Ganga

In the second week of May, 40 decomposed bodies surfaced on the banks of Ganga in Bihar raising alarm amongst local citizens and later piled up on Mahadeva Ghat's bank at Chausa town. After being identified to be of COVID-19 patients, Buxar DM said that the bodies 'appear to be 4-5 days old' and added that they will be cremated respectfully. A day later, several bloated and decomposing dead bodies surfaced on the banks of river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur - which is  55 km away from Buxar.

Soon enough, hundreds of dead bodies were found buried in the sand near river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao. CM Yogi Adityanath directed the SDRF and PAC police personnel to patrol every river in the state for ensuring that no one immerses the dead bodies in the river as a part of any ritual and earmarked funds for free cremation. Central teams have collected samples from various Ganga river banks in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to ascertain river contamination due to bodies being dumped in the river in April-May.