Rahul Gandhi doing politics over COVID-19 deaths: BJP

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (File image)

The BJP on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of doing politics over COVID-19 deaths, alleging that the WHO's data and Congress' "beta" (son) are wrong.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the World Health Organisation's (WHO) methodology to calculate estimated deaths in India due to the virus is "flawed" and the Indian government had conveyed its objections to the organisation.

Gandhi has tried repeatedly to lower Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image since 2014 and has in the process lowered India's image, Patra said. India has a robust mechanism for birth and death registration, he added.

"The WHO's data and the Congress' beta are wrong," he alleged. Gandhi had earlier attacked the government over a WHO report which claimed there were 4.7 million Covid deaths in India, saying "science does not lie, Prime Minister Narendra Modi does".

Gandhi also demanded that the government should support the families that have lost loved ones by giving them the mandated Rs four lakh compensation.