COVID Numbers in India Continue to Rise

 CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: This week, the Madras High Court has accused the Election Commission of being singularly responsible for the second wave, and the chief justice even saying that official should probably be booked on murder charges for letting these rallies take place. Will your party, your government then hold the Election Commission responsible?

NARENDRA TANEJA: Well, as you know, the honorable Madras High Court did efforts. We have read the judgment, their view. And we have also heard the views of several other platforms, judicial, media, think tanks, universities, intellectuals, so forth, and also some politicians. We have heard that. But as we said, that`s — the Election Commission of India is a highly revered institution, highly respected. And they took the decision that they took. And we, as a political party, for the — all political parties in India, they had no option to go along with it. And now, fortunately, the elections are over and that`s behind us.

AMANPOUR: But what`s not behind you, obviously, is this is this surge, this second surge, which is, as you have explained, pretty much out of control. You need everything. You are accepting help for the first time in 15 years. So, let me ask you about your party`s responsibility and your prime minister`s responsibility. As you know better than I do, there was a resolution adopted by your party in February which said: “It can be said with pride that India defeated COVID-19 under the able, sensible, committed and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi. The party unequivocally hails its leadership for introducing India to the world as a proud and victorious nation in the fight against COVID.” Now, you are, in fact, home to 18 percent of the world`s population. And I just wonder whether that was just a little bit too early to be celebrating, a little bit like President George Bush when he said mission accomplished, when certainly it wasn`t in the Iraq War. Do you regret that? Would you change that?

TANEJA: Well, I wouldn`t go for any comparison with President Bush and so forth. But, yes, I’m — the enthusiasm or optimism that was there in the language of resolution probably should have been more restrained. And many of us thought that language was a little bit too optimistic at that time. But, at that time, the situation in the country was very different. There were — the number of cases was very small. Of a country of 1.38 billion, there were hardly 10,000 cases per day.

AMANPOUR: BJP chief minister in Uttarakhand state has said: “I invite all devotees across the world to come to Haridwar, take a holy dip in the Ganga. Nobody will be stopped in the name of COVID-19, as we assure the faith in God will overcome the fear of the virus.” This is a pattern, Mr. Taneja. This is a pattern of your government constantly urging people to go out