Former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat waded into a controversy on Thursday over his comments that coronavirus, “has a right to live”, triggering stinging barbs from opposition leaders who described his statement as not just insensitive, but also “foolish”.
"Seen from a philosophical angle, coronavirus is also a living organism. It has the right to live like the rest of us,” Trivendra Singh Rawat said.
He added, “But we (humans) think ourselves to be the most intelligent and are out to eliminate it. So it is constantly mutating itself."
While addressing a press conference, Rawat also said, “Man needs to outpace the virus to stay safe.”
Advertisement
Rawat was trolled on social media for his unusual observation on coronavirus as it went viral at a time when the entire country is battling a strong second wave of Covid-19.
One Twitter user sarcastically said, "This virus organism should be given shelter in Central Vista."
He stunned people in 2019 when he claimed that the cow is the only animal that inhales and exhales oxygen. In March this year, the BJP abruptly dropped him.
With PTI inputs
