Row over WHO Covid deaths data continues as BJP, Cong trade barbs

A war of words on the  World Health Organization’s estimation that India had 4.7 million Covid-related deaths, continued on Friday with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party maintaining that it was “flawed”, and the Congress accusing the government of “under-reporting” fatalities.

According to WHO’s estimates, released on Thursday, India’s true death toll due to Covid-19 comes to approximately 10 times the 481,000 Covid-19 fatalities recorded till December 31, 2021. The Indian government, however, objected to WHO’s assessments by saying that the “process, methodology and outcome” were flawed on several counts.

Several Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, also raised the issue, accusing the government of “under-reporting” Covid deaths to “escape” paying compensation to the families of the deceased.

“47 lakh (4.7 million) Indians died due to the Covid pandemic. NOT 4.8 lakh as claimed by the Govt. Science doesn’t LIE. Modi does,” Gandhi tweeted, adding: “Respect families who’ve lost loved ones. Support them with the mandated ₹4 lakh compensation.”

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, too, said: “When will the Modi-government respect the deceased by paying ₹4 lakhs of compensation to the person who lost their lives during Covid?”

The party also demanded that a Covid-19 commission be formed, which will include members from all political parties.

On Thursday, the Centre objected to the excess death estimates released by the UN body. “Despite India’s objection to the process, methodology and outcome of this modelling exercise, WHO has released the excess mortality estimates without adequately addressing India’s concerns.”

The BJP asserted that the source of the data must have accuracy. “There are certain flaws in WHO data. The type of methods adopted by WHO in the whole process is wrong…,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters on Friday.

Experts in the government also questioned the methodology with which the UN health body arrived at the estimates. “India obviously rejects these numbers. We will take up the matter with the WHO, and also put forth its stand in front of the world that India rejects these numbers along with the due reason for it,” said VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog.