Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has different perception of history and society. Just 12 days ago, he landed in soup when remarked on women wearing ripped jeans as against culture. Before people forget the remark that jolted many on social media, he made another fresh comment on Indian history that never was.
In his enthusiasm to please the leadership, he had earlier equated PM Narendra Modi with Lord Ram and landed in trouble soon after his elevation as Uttarakhand Chief Minister on March 10. His ripped jeans remark made many girls and women from all age groups to storm social media with pictures of them wearing ripped jeans.
Now the hilly state's CM has given another shock to the country's educated youth and historians alike. He said the "United States ruled India for 200 years". Uttarakhand Chief Minister said: "As compared to other countries, India is managing Covid 19 crisis better. America, who ruled us for 200 years and ruled the world, is struggling during pandemic. Over 3,75 lakh people died in USA. In Italy, having best health facility in world, lost over 50 lakh people lives and heading for another lock down."
Addressing a rally, he said, "America, which enslaved us for 200 years, which ruled the world, under whose empire it was said the sun didn't set... recorded more than 2.75 lakh deaths due to Covid-19 and is still struggling." Obviously, the CM has mistaken the British for the US, which many in hilly areas fail to differentiate since all of them are Whites and referred so.
Even in this amazing elaboration of what's ahppening arond the world, Rawat credited Prime Minister Modi for saving people who followed his (Modi) instructions of wearing masks, sanitising, washing hands and following social distancing, unlike the US that defied to follow Covid safety rules often and fallen for pandemic.
Social media outrage
Once Uttarakhand minister for education, Tirath Singh Rawat has given ammunition to his opponents within the party and outside.
While Congress dismissed the row a simple tweet stating: "Just another BJP leader reminding us about the value of quality education," Samajwadi Party leader Juhie Singh just asked, "America colonised India for 200 years? When?"
Rawat, who assumed office on March 10, comes from a farmer's family and once ran a PCO with his friends during his college days and became BJP's poster boy in Pauri Garhwal in the 1990s. He was picked as minister for education by former Uttarakhand CM B.C. Khanduri, who also hails from the same constituency. Now, chosen to be the Uttarakhand CM, Rawat has been making headlines almost every week since he took over the office on March 10.
