UP's handling of Covid-19 unparalleled, says PM Modi in Varanasi

'Today UP is a state that does the maximum number of testings across the country,' he says.

Uttar Pradesh's handling of the second wave of Covid-19 cases was "unparalleled", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during a visit to his constituency of Varanasi.

"Kashi (Varanasi) has shown that it doesn’t stop in troubled times. Coronavirus attacked Kasi and Uttar Pradesh (UP) but the state fought back," he said a day after the Supreme Court sent a notice to the state government for allowing the Kanwar Yatra from next week despite the Covid-19 threat.

"Today UP is a state that does the maximum number of tests across the country. It is a state that does maximum number of vaccinations,” he said.

National and international media reported in April and May that UP was among states hit by the second wave of infections, with many places running short of medical oxygen. Corpses were found floating in the river or buried in the sand of River Ganga’s banks, media reported.

Modi was in Varanasi to inaugurate development works worth Rs 1500 crore—a visit informally marking the Bharatiya Janata Party’s start of campaign for elections in Uttar Pradesh.