Subramanian Swamy goes bonkers, blames India for Covid-19

Right on the verge of his retirement from the Rajya Sabha position, Subramanian Swamy has resorted to passive catering of opposition’s interests. In his recent stunt, the maverick leader has blamed India for the spread of China-induced Covid-19.

Subramanian Swamy does it again:

On Tuesday (December 7, 2021), Indians woke up to a strange tweet by the otherwise rational and erudite Subramanian Swamy. At around 5:10 AM, Mr. Swamy posted a tweet in which he seemed to suggest that India could be liable for the spread of Covid-19 all around the world, instead of China.

Also read: The rather drastic fall of Subramanian Swamy

Earlier, a Twitter user had posted a news piece about China from a website called ‘HinduPost’. The news piece had documented the possible evidence of Wuhan Bat samples responsible for Covid-19 being traced back to Laos. It suggested that the bats, which were carrying the Covid-19 pathogen, were brought from Laos to Wuhan. The said Twitter user tagged Mr. Swamy for his opinion on the matter.

Swamy blames Nagaland and TATA:

Surprisingly, Swamy, who is considered to be a China-expert in India as well as outside India, did not blame the communist nation for spreading the deadly virus. Instead, he went on to raise questions on the Indian state of Nagaland, and also Tata Institute, for allegedly transporting the virus to China.

According to Swamy’s knowledge (which is seemingly based on a debunked study published by The Hindu), bats from Nagaland were sent to Wuhan with the assistance of TATA institute. He then asked netizens that whether it would make India complicit as well.

Swamy seemed to have taken a clue from debunked study:

Meanwhile, netizens were quick to point out the faults in his arguments. Twitter users referred to National Center For Biological Sciences (NCBS) statement on the rumors around TATA institute’s involvement in the matter.

In February 2020, The Hindu had published an article by a certain Bindu Shajan Perapaddan. In her article, the author had claimed that the government had ordered an inquiry into a study conducted in Nagaland by Chinese scientists. According to the author, the study was under scanner, as nearly 20% of its researchers belonged to Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the widely-believed home of the Coronavirus. Moreover, it was also claimed that bats were transferred from Nagaland to Wuhan.

However, NCBS had slammed the newspaper and its author for its shoddy journalism, and clarified that no researcher from WIV was working with them. The research center also debunked the claim that any virus was transferred outside India.

Rajya Sabha membership and courtships by Swamy:

Recently, Swamy has become extra vocal and outwardly expressive, with regard to his differences with the BJP government. As his Rajya Sabha tenure is inching towards closure, Mr. Swamy looks to be in a hurry to retake the seat. If his external outbursts against the central government are anything to go by, he is signaling to the opposition that if needed, he may become an able spokesperson for them in parliament. His meetings with various opposition leaders give fuel to the fire.

Also read: Subramanian Swamy’s RS membership will expire soon and he is courting TMC

A brilliant academician of his time, who believed only in evidence-based truths, Subramanian Swamy’s political opportunism has let him down on various occasions. However, people of the country appreciate him for his movements towards freeing Mandirs from the clutches of Islamists. Catering to anti-India forces will only harm his reputation.