Recently, The Lancet, an internationally renowned peer-reviewed medical journal released an article about the Covid-19 emergency in India and criticised the government’s response.
In response to the article, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan shared an article on Twitter, calling it a “fair rebuttal to imbalanced editorial in The Lancet”.
A fair rebuttal to the imbalanced editorial in The Lancet titled ‘India’s Covid19 emergency’ published on May 8th.
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) May 17, 2021
While the Covid crisis did assume alarming proportions in India, it was indeed important to remain politically unbiased for a reputed journalhttps://t.co/k2L4dtwe7O
The article in question is a blog post, written by a certain Prof. Pankaj Chaturvedi. And among other things, it lists “Indian television debates” as a valid response to claims in The Lancet about government stifling criticism.
Naturally, Twitter had a lot to say about this “fair rebuttal”:
And don’t forget he’s the chairman of WHO’s executive board.
— G S SHRIDHAR (@ushrit2020) May 18, 2021
What must WHO be thinking?
There is a saying, when misfortune comes your way, comes from all the directions, how many to count besides health minister, railway minister, finance minister, agriculture minister, civil aviation.. and their boss, not to forget ‘chaddiwalas’ sitting in Nagpur ensuring our Mukti
— Alok Sharma (@aloksha47013786) May 18, 2021
Indian Health Minister’s respose to one of the most through, academic, peer reviewed medical journal in the world @TheLancet is in the form of “Pankaj Chaturvedi’s Thoughts” & a cat picture. The incompetence of this government is criminal, sure. But it is also comically absurd. https://t.co/xMoqoLL7ME
— Syed Faizan Bukhari (@syedfaizaan) May 18, 2021
First Coronil kit and now this. Give it up, folks, for India’s health minister. https://t.co/iBxmoynWTt pic.twitter.com/yqPmQ0rnvA
— Farrukh K. Pitafi (@FarrukhKPitafi) May 18, 2021
The thumbnail 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/yGrzVRfAmD
— sid (@SidKSchrute) May 18, 2021
I am still laughing at this man. This is the Union Home Minister of the Republic of India tweeting farzi blog links with a cat thumbnail 😭 https://t.co/dp1KWHxOUD
— Aadu Thoma's RayBan Glass. (@pitaji_ki_gufa) May 18, 2021
what https://t.co/M00q4iVykg sounds like https://t.co/BCTJfWCp3W pic.twitter.com/tmOdAgGXY1
— Shreemi Verma (@shreemiverma) May 17, 2021
so @drharshvardhan endorses this!?
— Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) May 18, 2021
‘…it’s also true that long term safety & efficacy of the vaccine is presently unknown. Murmurs are already happening in the scientific community that concept of natural herd immunity is being actively suppressed to promote vaccine companies.’ https://t.co/u03TxXC9Z1
This morning, Sambit Patra claimed that the vaccines were exported because of contractual obligations, and not as a goodwill gesture. In the night, @drharshvardhan tweets a blog piece as 'rebuttal' to Lanclet which claims that it is India's magnanimity that we exported vaccines. pic.twitter.com/PLZiaKCmmg
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) May 17, 2021
Counter @guardian criticism with @DailyGuardian1, counter @TheLancet with a blog! https://t.co/hA4rSSQCAI
— Bobins Abraham (@BobinsAbraham) May 18, 2021
Just wondering how soon will the blogpost make it to WhatsApp groups!
The only reason I’m sharing this because it has a cat photo.
— Baibhav Mishra (@mishra_baibhav) May 18, 2021
Cat photo >> Doctors https://t.co/SheVS55xoS
After#Mann_Ki_Baat
— Deepti Tripathi (@deepti_tripathi) May 18, 2021
Now #Cat_Ki_Baat https://t.co/ag34LKNnfK
Rescue that cat, man https://t.co/IoyJhvs5rM
— no that’s not the truth ellen (@0creativitigang) May 18, 2021
This is our health Minister who worries more about the criticism than the lives lost coz of the failure of health infrastructure even after more than a year to the pandemic.
— Kirtan V. Gala (@drkirtanphysio) May 18, 2021
High time @drharshvardhan needs to resign from the post. https://t.co/m0lPKvYPol
I protest this attack on satirists’ incomes. How will they make fun of anything when you are making fun of your self? #solidaritywithsatirists https://t.co/k57ciiGPkv
— siddharth khare (@siddharthkhare) May 18, 2021
I guess noone here read the thing. Thank you for taking the bullet!
— Zombie (@news_rookie) May 17, 2021
Tiger zinda hai" it gets stranger
This part of the article, i find quite true wrt present dispensation .
— Vishnu (@ravanatalks) May 17, 2021
“Winston Churchill had unabashedly said, “Power will go into the hands of rascals, rogues, and freebooters.” “
They've now deleted "Tiger Zinda hai" from the blog instead of deleting the blog itself. 🤦🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/F0MiD78uQ8
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 18, 2021
Just wondering how soon will the blogpost make it to WhatsApp groups!
