New Delhi, May 14 (IANS): At a time when the whole world is seeking solution to get rid of the Covid pandemic, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the virus is a "living organism and it deserves to live".
Rawat's unusual video statement went viral on social media in which he said that the pandemic is a living organism like human being so that it also has the right to live.
His remarks triggered stinging barbs from Opposition leaders who had described his statement as not just "insensitive", but also "foolish".
"If we talk from a philosophical angle, coronavirus is also a living organism like us. We (human being) consider ourselves most intelligent, but that organism also wants to live. And it also deserves to live," Rawat said.
Rawat continued in the widely-circulated video clip, saying, "We are out to eliminate the virus. So, it is constantly mutating to keep itself alive".
"Hence, we now have to keep our distance from it. It is also moving, and we are also moving, but we have to move faster than it so that it gets left behind."
The Congress moved fast to take potshots at Rawat after he got trolled on social media for his observation on Covid.
The BJP leader's remarks came at a time when India is passing through a worst phase of the second phase of Covid-19 with India registering 3,43,144 fresh cases and 4,000 deaths in the past 24 hours.
"What Rawat, who was the state's CM, has said, is nothing but foolish and nonsense. He has lost his mind and has no vision because of which he was replaced abruptly by his party," Uttarakhand Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said.
"The virus is a living organism, so was Ravana, Kansa and Mahishasura. But they all were killed by different gods because they were destroying the world just like this virus which has killed lakhs... Rawat is just uttering sheer nonsense."
AAP's Uttarakhand spokesperson Amarjeet Singh Rana said that Rawat's remark was a reflection of his wisdom.
"This shows his and the BJP leaders' wisdom. They are making Uttarakhand a laughing stock," Rana said.
Rawat hasn't issued a clarification on his comments yet.
The BJP's counter to the Opposition's barbs was a counter-attack, accusing the Congress and the AAP of indulging in a blame game rather than working for humanity in the pandemic.
This is not the first time that the former Chief Minister, who was abruptly replaced by T.S. Rawat in March this year, has been ridiculed for his comments.
He stunned people in 2019 when he claimed that the cow is the only animal that inhales and exhales oxygen. In March this year, the BJP abruptly dropped him.