“Did People Recover After Eating Bhabhi Ji Papad?”: Sena’s Sanjay Raut In Parliament

Even though the confirmed cases from the state were the highest, it had managed to successfully cure majority of those infected with the deadly virus, Mr Raut claimed.

Defending the Maharashtra government’s efforts to contain the pandemic, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said in parliament that the fight against coronavirus was not a political fight but a fight to save the lives of people. Mr. Raut also said that the state government had managed to control the spread of the pandemic in slum clusters like Dharavi, an effort which had drawn appreciation from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“These recoveries didn’t happen after eating Bhabhi Ji papad,” Raut remarked sarcastically, in an indirect reference Union Minister and BJP leader Arjun Ram Meghwal’s claim in July that the papad brand had the capacity to develop anti-bodies against coronavirus in the body. However, Mr Meghwal had later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Even though the confirmed cases from the state were the highest, it had managed to successfully cure majority of those infected with the deadly virus, Mr Raut claimed.

“My mother and my brother are infected with Covid. More than 30,000 people have recovered from COVID in Maharashtra. How did it happen? Today, the situation in Dharavi is under control. WHO has appreciated the efforts of BMC,” the Shiv Sena leader said in Rajya Sabha.

Opposition was only concerned in criticising the state government despite all these efforts, Mr Raut complained.

“I want to ask the members how did so many people recover? Kya log bhabhi ji ke papad kha karke theek ho gaye? (Did they recover by eating Bhabhiji’s papad (snack)? This isn’t a political fight but a fight to save the lives of people,” Raut said, in an indirect jibe at the BJP and Union Minister Meghwal.