Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is accused of India’s discouraging response to the Covid-19 crisis amid a second devastating wave of infections that kills hundreds a day and sends hospitals into crisis across the country.
As the spiral of infections, officials allow religious festivals and rallies attended by thousands to continue.
The hashtag #ResignModi was the top trend on Twitter in India on Monday – two days after the prime minister asked people to vote in person for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party, in “record numbers” for the state assembly elections East of West Bengal. Tens of thousands attended Modi’s rally in the state on Saturday, while millions of people are experiencing a record increase in Covid-19 cases that sent hospitals to the breaking point.
“I see a sea of masses. I have not seen a rally of this kind “, Modi told his supporters at the rally.
Also Monday, India reported 273,810 new cases of Covid-19 – the highest figure in a single day so far, according to data from the Indian Ministry of Health. The country recorded 1,619 coronavirus deaths in a single day – a record high – bringing the total to 178,769.
India, the second most populous country in the world, has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases, with over 15 million people infected. Only the United States has reported more infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Amid the ongoing crisis, hospitals across the country are reporting severe oxygen shortages and a lack of beds, with intensive care units running out of space, while vaccine supplies have declined.
Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said oxygen had “become an emergency” in the city.
“Instead of increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhi’s share has been diverted to other states,” he wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
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Less than 100 critical care beds were available in the city of more than 20 million people, Kejriwal said at a news conference on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Kejriwal imposed a six-day blockade in New Delhi on Monday to prevent the capital’s health system from collapsing.
“Delhi’s health care system has reached its limits. I’m not saying the system has collapsed, but it has reached its limits,” he said.
The Modi government issued a statement on Sunday praising India’s vaccination push, stressing that the country is “the fastest country in the world” to deliver 120 million doses.
In January, India began the largest vaccination campaign in the world, with over 300 million photos planned. However, only 14.3 million people – just over 1% of India’s population – have been fully vaccinated so far, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The country’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been criticized after it released an internal note last week urging staff to practice Simha Yogic Kriya, a form of yoga.
According to local news media The Tribune India, the ministry said practicing the form of yoga will “boost immunity” and “cope with the current crisis in a positive way”.
NBC News contacted the ministry for comment, but did not confirm the report.
The increase in the number of cases in India came as millions of Hindu devotees gathered simultaneously in the northern state of Uttarakhand for the Kumbh Mela festival, defying the rules of social distancing to perform prayers and rituals.
The one-month festival, which takes place approximately every 12 years, is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals. Pilgrims participate in prayers and “wash away their sins” in the Ganges River, which is considered sacred to Hindus.