‘Mann Ki Baat, Not Kaam Ki Baat’: Hemant Soren on Modi COVID Call

The PM had called the Jharkhand CM to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the state.

Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Hemant Soren

(Photo: Facebook/ @HemantSorenJMM)

Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, took a dig at Prime Minister Modi who called him up to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the state.

Jharkhand is among the 10 states and Union Territories that are collectively accounting for over 75 percent of daily COVID-19 deaths in the country, according to latest data.

Soren, also the chief of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), took to Twitter to say that the Prime Minister only spoke “mann ki baat”, not “kaam ki baat”.

"Respected Prime Minister called. He just spoke what was on his mind. It would have been better had he spoken on issues of importance and listened to the other side," said Soren in the tweet.

Hemant Soren’s tweet

(Photo: Twitter)

Apart from Soren, the Prime Minister also spoke to Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana about the COVID-19 situation on Thursday, 6 May.

Official sources told PTI that Soren was unhappy, as he was not allowed to present the issues concerning his state before PM Modi and instead, it was only the Prime Minister who talked about the COVID-19 situation.

'Failed CM’: Soren Comes In For Criticism

CM Soren was, meanwhile, criticised by other politicians on Twitter for being a ‘failed CM.’

JP Leader and Jharkhand Opposition party chief, Babulal Marandi, put out a tweet criticising Soren for his ‘failure to assist people’ of the state.

Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma called Soren’s tweet an insult to what the people of Jharkhand are going through.

BJP leader BL Santhosh attacked Soren for “stooping” low and lacking grace for the position of power he holds.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy asked Soren not to indulge in politics that would weaken the nation. He requested Soren to not point fingers at PM Modi, but to come together to combat the pandemic.

Bihar’s Minister of Industries, Syed Hussain also slammed Soren for his tweet, saying his actions lowered the respect of the Jharkhand CM in the eyes of the people.

Unprecedented COVID Surge In Jharkhand

Jharkhand reported 133 COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday, taking the number of deaths in the state to 3,479, while 6,974 cases pushed the state's infection tally to 2,70,089.

The mortality rate in the state remains higher at 1.28 percent against the national mortality rate of 1.10 percent. According to a bulletin issued by the state health department, the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients is 76.26 percent in Jharkhand as against the national average of 82 percent.

The state saw 2,092 deaths in last 34 days between 1 April 1 and 4 May.

While the state saw its first one lakh cases in a period of seven months between 31 March and 27 October last year, it detected the same number of cases in merely one month in April this year. The increase in mortality rate is more disturbing, as the state recorded more number of deaths in these 34 days than the first 12 months of the pandemic’s outbreak combined.

The mortality rate in the state remains higher at 1.28 percent against the national mortality rate of 1.10 percent. According to a bulletin issued by the state health department, the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients is 76.26 percent in Jharkhand as against the national average of 82 percent.

(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times)