Bengal BJP writes to Mamata on 'discrepancies' in pandemic figures

NEW DELHI: Just days after writing a scathing letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP's Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya has shot off another letter on Tuesday, highlighting "discrepancies and infirmities in the health bulletin dated May 4 released by the government of West Bengal".

Expressing his "concern" over the "quality of information being issued by the state government, Vijayvargiya wrote, "Figures of total number of Covid deaths still missing. Instead, two separate columns mentioning patients who died due to Covid and patients who died due to comorbidities were given. ICMR/WHO-ICD guidelines require Covid to be mentioned as a reason for all patients, who were Covid positive and died."

The senior BJP leader alleged that there is no mention of the number of people who were "deprived" of Covid-19 tests and were "clandestinely buried/cremated as per Covid protocols".

He also cited newspaper reports to allege that the Alipurduar district was shown to have 'nil' cases, "but multiple mainstream media reports have shown health officials admitting that there were at least 4 cases in the district".

Similarly, he quoted news reports to allege, "Same with the number of Covid deaths, which was also shown to be 'nil' in Alipurduar even though multiple media reports showed Covid positive patients being cremated on the banks of the Teesta river in Alipurduar district."

Vijayvargiya, who has been openly questioning the Mamata Banerjee-led government on its handling of the Covid-19 situation in the state, cited a news report published by a magazine to claim, "The Covid health bulletin of WB government dated May 4 shows 'nil' death due to Covid in Paschim Bardhaman district. But WB Chief Secretary is himself on record (at a press conference on April 21) admitting to one Covid death in Paschim Bardhaman."

The list goes on and so does the citation of news reports which Vijayvargiya used to bolster his argument in the three-page letter. He concluded by saying, "There are several unanswered questions on how the state government is handling the Covid pandemic. But I hope, in the interim, you will take note of the above observations and ensure these discrepancies are addressed at the earliest." (IANS) 

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