It is experiencing the worst health emergency in its history
Indian analysts: The biggest Corona crisis the world has seen affects Modi's popularity
Modi appeared at a campaign rally without a muzzle.
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Some Indians revived their religious rituals a few days ago in the water of rivers, without taking into account the restrictions of "Covid-19".
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The lack of oxygen supplies in Indian hospitals has greatly contributed to the increase in the number of infections.
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At a time when India is experiencing the worst health emergency in its history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an election rally in Asansol, West Bengal, and wrote on Twitter: "I've never seen such huge crowds before."
And the Bloomberg News Agency published a report by three Indian analysts, Archana Chowdhury, Bebudhata Bardan and Sudi Ranjan, in which they stated that the second wave of Coronavirus infections had turned into a tsunami of injuries, as India is currently the global hotspot for the outbreak of the Coronavirus, as it set records For the largest number of daily infections in the world.
Pictures of hospitals teeming with sick people and cases of dying people are spreading on social media, with medical staff and citizens alike making desperate calls for help for oxygen supplies.
Growing blame
The lockdown has been imposed in New Delhi and Mumbai, the country's political and financial capitals, but there is an increasing amount of blame directed at Modi for his government's handling of the pandemic.
Modi canceled his planned appearance in West Bengal next Friday, to hold meetings related to dealing with the pandemic.
And whether this is sufficient to prevent political repercussions, it will become clear on May 2, when the election results are announced in the five states that voted during the past month, namely West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry.
“At this critical time, (Modi) is fighting for votes, not against COVID-19, he is failing,” says Panchanan Maharana, a community activist from Odisha state who has supported Modi before, but is now looking for alternative nominations to support her. In fulfilling his promises - he must stop talking and focus on saving the lives and livelihoods of citizens. ”
Indian analysts say that in the last poll conducted last January, during a period of calm in terms of recording pandemic-related injuries, his popularity rate reached 74%, slightly down from the 78% that he had recorded last August, but it remained high. Impressively, it remains unclear whether the pandemic will affect his popularity.
A state of anger
On the other hand, Nikita Sood, a professor of international development at Oxford University, who has published a book on Hindu nationalism, says: “There is no doubt that there is a state of anger flowing over the mismanagement of the (Covid-19) crisis in India .. The question is Will this anger outweigh the hatred that has been systematically instilled in our society for years?
Will public memory last long enough for the pandemic-related anger to emerge during elections?
These are not easy questions to answer. If we judge by the criticism flowing on Twitter, we will see that the anger and disappointment in the Indian leader is clear.
When Modi addressed the public last Tuesday, he appeared to fail to internalize the growing sense of panic among citizens.
While he was speaking, without providing any details about how his government would change the situation, the hashtag "Stop speech, not oxygen" was posted more than 108,000 times on Twitter.
Other hashtags were also circulating, such as "Moody caused a disaster" and "Moody step aside."
The pictures in which Modi appeared not wearing a muzzle while addressing large crowds of protesters, most of whom were also without masks, and did not adhere to social distancing, in stark contrast to the images of doctors and nurses working hard under a deteriorating health system suffering from a lack of funds and supplies.
While there are at least six high courts looking into judicial disputes over the management of the "Covid-19" crisis, which includes a lack of oxygen, the Supreme Court requested last Thursday from the federal government to provide a national plan for the distribution of essential supplies and services.
Oxygen is a problem
The supply of oxygen has become a very big problem, especially in New Delhi, which is most affected by the pandemic among the major cities, and many hospitals have warned patients entering intensive care units that their expiration date may expire, because they only have enough oxygen for hours, and in many cases it arrives. The oxygen supply is only in the last moments.
The shortage of beds in hospitals is another big problem, and some pictures showed patients on stretchers outside a major hospital, receiving oxygen under temporary arrangements.
Nikita Sood says that Modi's decision to organize election rallies, and to give the green light to major religious gatherings in light of the growing second wave of Corona injuries, "does not inspire confidence in the leadership and governance record in India for any objective observer or investor."
Modi's decision to organize election rallies, and his approval of major religious gatherings in light of the growing second wave of Corona injuries, calls into question the leadership and governance record in India with the objective observer and investor.
• In the January poll, coinciding with the lull in the infection rate in Corona, Modi's popularity reached 74%, slightly down from the 78% that he had recorded last August, but it remained impressively high.
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