India could face Israel-style protests against PM due to coronavirus
While India went into lockdown fairly early, much criticism is still directed at Modi for what is perceived as poor handling of the crisis.
By AARON REICHINDIAN PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet last year. (photo credit: REUTERS)India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi could face protests in the streets similar to the ones facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Shiva Sena Party leader Sanjay Raut explained, The Times of India reported Monday.Writing in his weekly column in Saamna, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Raut spoke about the huge economic toll India has paid due to the coronavirus lockdown, with 10 million people having lost their jobs and industry having faced severe financial losses.Likewise, Israel has also faced severe economic shortages due to the lockdown, with protesters having gathered in cities across the country calling for Netanyahu to resign due to his poor handling of the pandemic."Israel is witnessing protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and there are demands for his resignation over the failure to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis. India, too, could witness the same," Ruat wrote, according to the Press Trust of India.While India went into lockdown fairly early, much criticism is still directed at Modi for what is perceived as poor handling of the crisis."The focus is being diverted from [the economic] issues by keeping people busy with festive celebrations," Raut charged.He explicitly referred to the country's recent purchase of jets from French firm Rafale, which was widely celebrated by India and came amid tensions between India and neighboring China, which threatened to break out into violence.However, experts have questioned the reasoning behind the jets, as they are expensive and have seen little buyers on the international market apart from France, with only Qatar and Egypt using them, and even then in limited numbers only, The EurAsian Times reported.Regardless of their usefulness, Ruat criticized the idea of celebrating purchasing jets."In the past also, the country has brought jets like Sukhoi or MIG but there was no festivity around it. Now it has brought bomb and missle carriers Rafale, but will these bombs and missles be able to destroy challenges posed by unemployment and [the] economic situation in the country?"
