Kamal Nath's 'Indian Variant' remark lands him in trouble

Bhopal: An FIR has been registered against the former Chief Minister and now opposition leader, Kamal Nath, for allegedly creating fear in people by denoting the B.1.617 variant as the 'Indian variant of COVID' in Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh police said that Congress leader's statement at a press meet has been found to be misinformation and could create panic among masses which is a criminal offence under IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and a violation of orders promulgated by the collector under section 144 CrPC.

Nath is said to have commented that the world was calling the Chinese virus due to its emergence from China but the Central government was afraid of identifying the variant that caused the second wave in the country to Indian when all the experts were calling it 'Indian Variant'.

According to the FIR, Nath called the new mutant variant an Indian variant and referred to it as the cause of the second COVID wave in the country and subsequent suspension of flights, severing all the connection with other countries.

He has been booked under the Disaster Management Act and section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC and section 54 (punishment for false warning) of the Disaster Management Act by the crime branch, said Irshad Wali, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police.

Nath also said that Indians who are working and studying in foreign countries are facing trouble due to it and observed that foreign countries are trying to help India by sending aids to fight against the epidemic.

The FIR alleged that Nath tried to misguide people and to create disturbance in the country by his defamatory remark.

The complaint filed by BJP had sought that the Crime Branch of the state police registers a case.

However, Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha took to Twitter to defend Kamal Nath and stated that that the FIR was an attempt by the BJP to hide its incompetence. He said that the Centre, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court, had itself referred to the "Indian double mutant strain" of the virus.

Earlier this week, the government had issued an advisory to social media platforms, asking them to remove all content with mention of the 'Indian strain' of Covid-19. The WHO has made it clear that any strain of the virus cannot be named after the country where it was first detected, said the advisory.