The High Commission of New Zealand in New Delhi was caught in a political row after it sent out an SOS Tweet for medical oxygen in light coronavirus crisis. The urgent appeal was made to Indian Youth Congress leader BV Srinivas who has grabbed national attention for helping thousands affected by Covid-19 pandemic.
But the embassy deleted the tweets within minutes and apologised subsequently. This led to widespread speculation on social media that the High Commission removed the SoS request after the intervention of Indian diplomatic establishment.
The first tweet, which caused the row, read: “.@sosiyc @srinivasiyc Could you please help with Oxygen cylinder urgently at the New Zealand High Commission? Thank you.”
Here is another tweet where the HIgh Commission apologised apparently for making an appeal to Congress leader.
“We are trying all sources to arrange for oxygen cylinders urgently and our appeal has unfortunately been misinterpreted, for which we are sorry,” the mission said in a post after the original tweet, where it had made a request directly to Srinivas.
Soon Srinivas and his team reached the New Zealand High Commission with oxygen cylinders. He also posted a video where his team was seen delivering oxygen cylinders at the New Zealand embassy. He said,” Update- New Zealand high commission opened gates of the embassy and accepted cylinders. Also, they thanked the #SOSIYC team for this quick relief as patient inside embassy was critically ill.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hit out at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh after he said on Twitter that the youth wing of the Congress was attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies and wondered whether the MEA was ‘sleeping’.
Ramesh also shared a video posted on Twitter by Indian Youth Congress national president Srinivas B V that showed a mini pickup van entering the embassy of the Philippines in Delhi, carrying oxygen cylinders.
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‘While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen I’m stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar?,’ he tweeted.
‘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,’ Jaishankar tweeted.
‘Jairamji, MEA never sleeps; our people know across the world. MEA also never fakes; we know who does,’ he said in another tweet.
Srinivas tweeted the video with a caption ‘#SOSIYC members at Embassy of the Philippines in New Delhi.’ In his comments, Ramesh complimented the Indian Youth Congress.
