The Narendra Modi government on Sunday accused the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) of giving away “unsolicited” oxygen cylinders to the Philippine embassy for “cheap publicity”, only to end up with egg on its face when the New Zealand high commission made a public request for oxygen to the IYC — the youth wing of the Congress.
“@sosiyc @srinivasiyc Could you please help with oxygen cylinder urgently at New Zealand High Commission? Thank You,” the appeal from the verified Twitter handle of the New Zealand mission said, exactly one minute after external affairs minister S. Jaishankar had berated the Congress.
The MEA later took to Twitter to say it was “responding to the medical demands” of embassies and high commissions and added: “Given the pandemic situation, all are urged not to hoard essential supplies, including oxygen.” Several members of the diplomatic corps are said to have tested positive.
@sosiyc and @srinivasiyc — the Twitter handles of the relief campaign of the IYC and the Congress youth wing president B.V. Srinivas, respectively — are the most tagged in appeals for help for Covid patients. But to have a foreign embassy also reach out to the Opposition party rather than the government appeared to have got Jaishankar’s goat.
“MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling.
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