The New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi has reached out to the national president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) seeking help for oxygen cylinders. However minutes later, they deleted the said tweet.
#Breaking: The tweet in which the High Commission of New Zealand in Delhi had sought help from Indian Youth Congress President @srinivasiyc, now stands deleted. pic.twitter.com/tFGYB9cMQc
— Mohit Sharma (@iMohit_Sharma) May 2, 2021
Putting out a clarification, the High Commission took to Twitter and issued an apology saying its appeal was misinterpreted. Although, an IYC team subsequently reached out to them and supplied the oxygen cylinders.
We are trying all sources to arrange for oxygen cylinders urgently and our appeal has unfortunately been misinterpreted, for which we are sorry.
— NZ in India (@NZinIndia) May 2, 2021
Update- New Zealand high commission opened gates of the embassy and accepted cylinders.
— Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) May 2, 2021
Also, they thanked the #SOSIYC team for this quick relief as patient inside embassy was critically ill. https://t.co/BzGwj0wm0q pic.twitter.com/vu6TUhD1r8
On Saturday night, the IYC supplied the Embassy of the Philippines in New Delhi with several oxygen cylinders following which several Congress leaders had slammed the Indian government.
#SOSIYC members at Embassy of the Philippines in New Delhi. @indembmanila pic.twitter.com/IkvcKAtdR3
— Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) May 1, 2021
While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen I’m stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar ? https://t.co/iEG49baE9l
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 1, 2021
Do we have a government in India ?
— Bunty Shelke (@Buntyshelke_inc) May 1, 2021
Now @IYC under leadership of @srinivasiyc is helping foreign diplomats too.@DrSJaishankar सब चंगा सी ?
India's External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar, however, called the act a cheap publicity stunt.
MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling. @Jairam_Ramesh https://t.co/G3jPE3c0nR
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 2, 2021
Over the last month, India has witnessed a massive surge in COVID cases. Incidents of ambulances queuing up outside hospitals, bodies piling up outside crematoriums and graveyards, and basic medical facilities seemingly crumbling in parts of the country due to lack of hospital beds and ventilators are being reported on a daily basis.
According to the Health Ministry, India reported 392,488 new COVID cases, 3,689 deaths in the last 24 hours. This is the highest the country has seen so far.
