Govt Responds As NYT Article Says ‘COVID Findings Tailored To Suit PM’s Agenda’
NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul has also condemned the article
Mumbai: Government has called the recent New York Times article on India’s COVID-19 response a “provocative, attention-seeking” piece. The article claimed that the “ICMR tailored its findings to fit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s optimistic narrative despite a looming crisis”.
ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said in a press conference on Thursday, “This is a provocative, attention-grabbing article which has been published at a time when India is doing well and our vaccination is excellent and it is diverting attention from everyone. All the issues raised are dead ones and probably do not merit any attention.”
Meanwhile, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the focus of the central government, as well as the state governments, is on tackling a pandemic.
“We attach great importance to journalism and editorial freedom and at the same time we must realize that all of us – the central government as well as the state governments are fully engaged in fighting a pandemic and all our energies and time is devoted to that,” said Bhushan.
He added: “We cannot be distracted by things that can be addressed later that are not a priority from a public health point of view.”
NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul has also condemned the article.
“We actually condemn this type of distorted out of context reporting. This is not desirable and it should not happen,” he said.
Speaking about the country’s ongoing vaccination drive, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that 20 per cent of India’s adult population has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 62 per cent have received one dose.
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