Following his announcement that he had recovered from Covid, many video recordings of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal speaking at public gatherings sans a mask and coughing persistently have gained attention. Throughout all of the clips, he can be seen coughing repeatedly while interacting with others.
It should be noted that Kejriwal contracted Covid on January 4th and declared himself clear of the virus on January 9th, only 5 days after being diagnosed. If symptoms continue even after testing negative, the ICMR recommends isolation for at least a week or ten days. Videos showing him interacting with the people, coughing continuously, and campaigning in his own capacity in numerous states have swamped social media.
@kajukatla, a Twitter user, tweeted a video showing Kejriwal campaigning in Goa despite his ill health.
Another user named Nishant Azad (@azad_nishant) shared a video of CM Kejriwal on a stage with many people including Chief Ministerial candidate of Punjab Bhagwant Mann. He wrote “Wear a mask, Kejriwal ji. Kejriwal ji is seen coughing everywhere whether it is rally, interview or press conference. @ArvindKejriwal If your health is bad then rest at home why are you risking the lives of others even when the country is battling #Covid19.”
A Twitter user named Sunil Bishnoi (@SM_Bishnoi) wrote “Arvind Kejriwal has not fully recovered from Covid. Instead of being in home isolation, he is campaigning (physically) in Punjab. He was in quarantine for only 4 days. In today’s video, He is coughing in open without mask. Kejriwal is very careless, putting 1000s lives in danger.” He also shared a video of him with Bhagwant Mann interacting with the public in Punjab.
A Twitter handle @MeghBulletin tweeted a video of Kejriwal and wrote “Arvind Kejriwal seriously needs to get treated first … #COVID”
Arvind Kejriwal’s careless attitude against Covid
It’s worth noting that in the last month, Kejriwal has made repeated travels to poll-bound states like Goa and Punjab to campaign for his party. Opindia has extensively covered Arvind Kejriwal’s election campaign path leading up to the news that he was Covid-19 positive. The Delhi CM has spoken at various press conferences to express worry over the mounting COVID cases in Delhi. Meanwhile, throughout his rallies and press conferences, he himself was not observed adhering to the COVID safety protocol. He was observed without a mask engaging with everyone.
COVID-19 infection has been on the rise across the country, owing to the novel coronavirus variant Omicron. Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party’s head and Delhi’s chief minister, has been campaigning for elections nonstop, implying that he has willfully placed the lives of many people in danger in the ongoing pandemic.