Prevent hoarding: MEA to missions

Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, MAY 2

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday advised all diplomatic missions not to hoard essential supplies following a twitter spat between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over Youth Congress leaders responding to emergency appeals for help from two diplomatic missions.

MEA officials are in continuous touch with all embassies and responding to their medical demands. “Given the pandemic situation, all are urged not to hoard essential supplies, including oxygen,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi after the dust had settled on the controversy that began on Saturday night.

Jaishankar had responded to a tweet from Ramesh that the “youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies”. It was backed by a video of oxygen cylinder-laden trucks entering the Philippines embassy on Saturday night.

“The MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling,” shot back Jaishankar to Ramesh’s query whether the “MEA is sleeping?” Jaishankar told Ramesh, “Jairamji, MEA never sleeps; our people know across the world. MEA also never fakes; we know who does.’’ In the second case, the New Zealand High Commission deleted its tweet seeking emergency help for oxygen.