Lighting candles won't solve COVID-19 crisis: Rahul Gandhi

Comparing the number of people being tested in India for Covid-19 with other countries, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, here on Saturday, took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his appeal to the people to light torches on Sunday, saying shining torches in the sky would not solve the problem.

In a tweet, Gandhi, a MP from Kerala's Wayanad, said, "India is simply not testing enough to fight Covid-19. Making people clap and shining torches in the sky aren't going to solve the problem."

He also attached to his tweet a chart, released by the Congress, that showed India was testing only 29 people per million. Pakistan is testing 67 people per million, Sri Lanka 97, the United Kingdom 1,891, Germany 5,812,Italy 7,122 and South Korea 7,622 per million.

His remarks came a day after Modi in his third special address to the nation in the last fortnight appealed people to switch off lights of their homes at 9 p.m. on Sunday for 9 minutes and light a diya or a candle or the flashlight of phones to dispel the darkness and gloom brought about by the coronavirus outbreak.

On Saturday, the Covid-19 tally in India rose to 2,902, with 68 deaths. IANS