US ruled India for 200 years; families with 20 children got more ration during COVID: Uttarakhand CM Rawat

DEHRADUN: The BJP has apparently found a competitor to Tripura chief minister Biplab Kr Deb in Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat who has been raking up rows one after another with controversial remarks.

The latest that has rocked the nation is that United States of America ruled India for 200 years.

In a video by one of the news agencies that has gone viral, Rawat is seen saying in Ramnagar in the state: "America, who enslaved us for 200 years and ruled the whole world, is struggling" under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

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He also compared India with the US on number of COVID-19 cases. "As opposed to other countries, India is doing better in handling the pandemic. America, who enslaved us for 200 years and ruled the whole world ... is struggling at present."

"The US is number one in the healthcare sector and yet, they have over 50 lakh deaths," Rawat is heard saying. "They are again heading towards a lockdown."

"Who knows what would have happened to India had anyone else been the prime minister instead of Narendra Modi at this time ... But he (Modi) saved us," he said.

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Rawat said, “Modi advised us to wear masks, sanitising, wash hands and maintain social distance. But we didn't follow his instructions. Only few people followed."

Deb had recently said that Modi has invented COVID-19 vaccines and was not only saving Indians but also people of other countries.

Rawat went on to add that poor families who were struggling to feed themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic should have had 20 children if they wanted more ration from a central government scheme of free food grains and pulses.

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"Every household was given five kg rations per individual. If 10 (people in a home) got 50 kg, then 20 got a quintol (100 kg). But some were jealous that two people got 10 kg and 20 got a quintol. Why? When there was time you only gave birth to two... why not 20?" Rawat is heard saying.

Since COVID-19 induced lockdown and job loss, the Centre has been distributing rations under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.

Rawat was sworn in as chief minister on March 10 and has since been making himself a laughing stock with insensitive statements.

He was in the news early last week with his misogynistic "ripped jeans" comment that drew flaks from across the nation.

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He had commented on women wearing ripped jeans and he felt they could not provide the right environment at home for children. He said he was shocked to see a woman running an NGO in ripped jeans, and was concerned about the example she was setting for society.

"If this kind of woman goes out in the society to meet people and solve their problems, what kind of message are we giving out to society, to our kids? It all starts at home. What we do, our kids follow. A child who is taught the right culture at home, no matter how modern he becomes, will never fail in life," Rawat had said.

Criticism from all quarters forced him to apologise eventually.