FURIOUS INDIANS BLAST MODI FOR SKYROCKETING COVID DEATHS

India had once declared victory over COVID-19 but is now reeling amid an unprecedented health crisis. It has put Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the dock, with critics saying they monumentally mismanaged the pandemic, Siddhartha Kumar reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur [dpa].

India’s chances of checking the pandemic via an effective mass vaccination campaign have been hit after the government did not place large enough orders for the world's second-most populous country of over 1.3 billion.

It instead gifted away 66 million vaccines to other countries. Ironically, the world’s biggest producer of COVID-19 vaccines has been hit by shortages, with less than 2 percent of its population being fully vaccinated since January.

In March, the government went a step further and allowed religious festivals and state election rallies attended by millions of people in potential super-spreader events.

Even during the start of the surge in April, Modi himself led huge election rallies, addressing thousands of people without masks, where he marveled at the attendance, saying he had never seen such "huge crowds."

Warnings from Indian scientists about a deadly second wave went unheeded, resulting in the world’s worst outbreak. Medical experts say Modi arrogantly declared India had defeated COVID-19 instead of utilizing the time during the lull in cases after the first wave to boost critical care facilities.

On cue, many Indian states dropped their guard and began to dismantle their COVID-19 infrastructure, leading to the crisis.

"There is anger building up among people on the streets and on social media over why the system failed them so badly," political analyst Arati Jerath said.

"Modi’s leadership? It’s hubris, just hubris, and sheer arrogance. People’s hopes in him have been dashed. This backlash will definitely lead to a setback for brand Modi."

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