Open appeal for oxygen not right way: Kiwi PM

NEW DELHI, MAY 3

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today confirmed there was indeed a patient in the New Zealand High Commission who required emergency treatment but conceded that an open public appeal for oxygen cylinders was not the right way for its New Delhi mission to go about it.

The New Zealand High Commission and the Philippines Embassy had put out tweets seeking emergency supplies of oxygen and had tagged Indian Youth Congress President BV Srinivas, who had rushed volunteers with cylinders to both the missions. This led to a Twitter spat between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh after the latter retweeted visuals of oxygen cylinders being given by Youth Congress volunteers to both missions and asked “is the MEA sleeping”. — TNS