Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had praised the “Mumbai model”, Nawab Malik said (File)

New Delhi:

Ruling NCP and Congress in Maharashtra on Tuesday hit back at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who had slammed the Shiv Sena-led government over its handling of the COVID-19 situation by calling it a circus.

Senior NCP leader and Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had praised the “Mumbai model” amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Mumbai Congress leader Charan Singh Sapra said people are seeing the circus called the Central government which has been insensitive towards them. “In this circus, the number of jokers is more,” he said.

“It is laughable that the government which runs on a ringmaster’s hunter is calling a democratically-run government (in Maharashtra) as a circus…It seems Rajnath Singh is sharing his experience (as a minister in the Modi government),” Mr Malik said while referring to the remarks made by Mr Singh on Monday during a virtual rally of BJP workers from Maharashtra.

Mr Sapra wondered if “virtual election rallies” of the BJP amidst the COVID-19 crisis can be called a circus.

“At a time when the number of COVID-19 cases have crossed more than one lakh (actual count more than 2.6 lakh as on June 9) in the country, the ruling party is celebrating by organising election rallies. Isn’t it a circus? The state government is giving a tough fight to the coronavirus,” he said.