Is there any deal with China on WHO Covid report: Manish Tewari asks govt

Congress leader Manish Tewari questioned Centre's silence on the WHO report that the coronavirus must have spread from bat to animals

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday questioned Centre's silence on the WHO report that the coronavirus must have spread from bat to animals and then to humans and rejected all claims on it being leaked by a lab.

Manish Tewari while talking to IANS alleged that China allowed proliferation of the virus and kept the world in the dark. He also questioned the joint WHO-China statement giving clean chit to China on the lab-leak on February 9 and allowing the disengagement of troops in Ladakh.

Tewari alleged that when China first detected the virus in Wuhan institute of virology it locked its own cities but did not stop the international flights to curb the spread of virus.

Tewari said that it is India's responsibility as the Chair of World Health Organisation's Executive Board to take the investigation into the lab leaked angle to its logical conclusion, he said, adding "I do not understand why the government is silent on it."

In his tweet, he said, "Was this the Deal with China? As India Chairs the board of WHO do not object to whitewash of China's culpability in spreading COVID-19 & there would be disengagement in Ladakh? Time Line says it all 9-Feb Joint WHO-China Presser rubbishing Lab Leak."

He further added that, "10th February 2021- Chinese Ministry of National Defence Senior Colonel Wu Qian announces disengagement on North South bank of Pangong - Tso. 11th February 2021 Rajnath Singh endorses China's statement in Rajya Sabha. Could this just be a coincidence? Highly Unlikely"

India recorded 56,211 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, 17 per cent lower than the day before, taking the total tally to 1,20,95,855 on Tuesday.

On Monday, the country recorded 68,020 cases, the highest single-day spike in daily new cases since October 11, last year.

--IANS

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