Sena's Raut turns geopolitical; fires 'Aatmanirbhar Putin' jibe at Centre on Covid vaccine

In a dig at Narendra Modi government over its push for self-reliance, Shiv Sena leer Sanjay Raut on Sunday said Russia gave first lesson to world on being 'Aatmanirbhar' by introducing a COVID-19 vaccine while India has just been preaching about it.

Lauding Russia for vaccine, Raut, in his weekly column 'Rokhtokh' in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', said this was a sign of being a superpower, and ded that Indian politicians will t follow Russia's example as a model since "y are in love with America".

Russian President Vlimir Putin on Tuesday anunced that his country has developed world's first vaccine against COVID-19 that works "quite effectively" and forms a "stable immunity" against dely disease, as he disclosed that one of his daughters has alrey been vaccinated.

"When re was a movement across globe to prove Russian vaccine as illegal, Putin used vaccine as a trial on his daughter and created self-confidence in his own country," Raut said. "Russia gave first lesson of being 'Aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) to world. We are just preaching about being 'Aatmanirbhar'," executive editor of 'Saamana' said.

ting that Ram temple trust he Mahant Nritya Gopal Das has tested positive for coronavirus, Raut sought to kw if Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who shook hands with Das during temple's ground-breaking function in Ayodhya (on August 5), will quarantine himself.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee, who has tested positive of coronavirus, is in a critical condition and ministers and bureaucrats in Modi government have also tested positive for viral infection, he pointed out.

"Delhi ( national capital) was never under such terror like it is w due to coronavirus. re was fear of Modi and (Home Minister Amit) Shah earlier, but fear of corona is more than that," he said. Rajya Sabha member claimed Delhi has "come to a standstill" and that this is serious.

" official unemployment figure has been put at 14 crores. But those running country have work. Political workers have become lazy because re are political agitations. Opposition parties have become cold," he said. re are political meetings or functions in Delhi w. Even Independence Day function preparations weren't re. "Like in Mumbai, re is a fear of coronavirus everywhere in Delhi," he said.