SINGAPORE: Netizens in Singapore have called out Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for claiming that a “very dangerous” strain of the COVID-19 was prevalent in the city-state, accusing him of “spreading misinformation” while seeking an apology and recommending a fact-checking.
“The new form of coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis,” the Delhi chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday.
Responding to Kejriwal’s tweet, Singapore’s health ministry on Tuesday night said: “There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions found within the reports.”
“There is no Singapore variant. The strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India. Phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore,” it said in a statement.
Prominent Singapore blogger mrbrown wrote: “Hey, Delhi chief minister! The B1617 strain came from your country.”
A Twitter user with the handle ‘Antaraaneja’ said that Singapore schools are closed because of the B.1.617.2 strain, “Perhaps fact checking and an apology are in order for spreading misinformation.”
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday tweeted that “Politicians should stick to facts! There is no Singapore variant.”
He also thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for clearing the air after Kejriwal tweeted.
Dr. S Jaishankar let’s focus on resolving the situation in our respective countries and helping one another. Nobody is safe until everyone is safe,” he said in another tweet.
Earlier, the Singapore government on Wednesday conveyed to the Indian High Commissioner its strong objection to Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal’s comments about a “Singapore variant” of COVID-19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi.
MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Indian High Commissioner conveyed to the Singapore government that the Delhi chief minister has no competence to comment on COVID variants.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said the Delhi Chief Minister does not speak for India.
“Singapore Government called in our High Commissioner today to convey strong objection to Delhi CM’s tweet on “Singapore variant”. High Commissioner clarified that Delhi CM had no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy,” Bagchi tweeted.
Meanwhile, Singapore has closed all schools from Wednesday and switched to home-based learning.
The authorities also decided to vaccinate students aged between 12-15 as the number of infections in schools has increased recently.
Singapore’s health ministry further said that phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore.
Two COVID-19 sub-variants from India have been detected among imported and community (local) cases in Singapore, including those who have been linked to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Changi Airport clusters, it said.
Singapore has stopped allowing entry for long-term pass holders and short-term pass holders with recent travel from India from April 24.
Atul Temurnikar, Chairman of the Global Indian International School, said that there are comprehensive COVID-19 measures in place in Singapore to protect young, school-going students and they have proven to be very effective.
School life is unaffected and exams are conducted normally.
In fact, cases of infections among children are less than 20, all of which have been linked to adult sources outside of schools, he said.
“The situation in Singapore is normal, and not at all alarming as it is made out to be. There are strict control mechanisms in place which are adjusted on a regular basis to deal with the developing situation around us,” he said in reaction to the reports in Indian media.
Earlier, India’s Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri replied to the Delhi CM’s tweet, saying, “Kejriwal ji, all international flights have been stopped since March 2020. We have no air bubble with Singapore either.”
Only a few flights are being operated between the two countries under Vande Bharat Mission to bring back Indians stuck there, he added.
“We are still keeping an eye on the situation. All precautions are being taken,” Puri noted.
According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday, India saw a record 4,529 fatalities due to coronavirus in a single day, pushing the COVID-19 death toll to 2,83,248, while 2,67,334 fresh infections were recorded, taking the total tally of cases to 2,54,96,330.
The active cases have further reduced to 32,26,719 comprising 12.66 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 86.23 per cent.
Chinchurani is the second woman minister from CPI (after K R Gowri who had been part of the 1957 cabinet). She began her public life by associating with Balavedi and AISF. She is the state president of Kerala Mahila Sangham. Her husband D Sukesan is a CPI local leader in Kollam.
Roshy Augustine entered politics through KSC(M), the students’ wing of Kerala Congress(M). After his unsuccessful contest from Perambra constituency in 1996 at 27, Mani offered a ticket to Roshy in the 2001 assembly elections from Idukki. Roshy, who won from Idukki in 2001, has never tasted defeat since then. 
A native of Meladoor in Thrissur, Rajeeve has been living in Kalamassery for the past several years. Rajeeve, who began his public life as an SFI organiser, earned appreciation cutting across party lines as Rajya Sabha MP from 2009-2015. He is a member of the CPM state secretariat and served as Ernakulam district secretary. 
A native of Thonnoorkara in Chelakkara, Radhakrishnan entered politics through SFI while studying at Thrissur Kerala Varma College. He has represented Chelakkara constituency in the assembly for 5 terms. In the first term, he was made SC/ST Welfare minister in the E K Nayanar cabinet in 1996. He served as the assembly speaker from 2006 to 2011. 
Ollur constituency has never given a second term for a candidate during the past four decades. The CPI has named K Rajan who served as government chief whip during the previous term as minister as he broke the jinx attached to Ollur. Rajan is a state executive member of the CPI and had been AIYF national secretary. 
K Krishnankutty was water resources minister in the outgoing Pinarayi Vijayan government. A native of Chittur in Palakkad, K Krishnankutty is a farmer and an expert in inter-state river-water sharing treaties. He is the state president of the Janata Dal (S). 
Veena George is a journalist-turned-politician. She quit her job to contest the election from Aranmula in 2016. Veena’s leadership qualities were visible during the 2018 floods which had affected Pathanamthitta badly.
A native of Chovva in Kannur, Saseendran started his political career as a KSU worker. He was the district president of KSU from 1963-1966 and its state president from 1978-1980 and state president of Youth Congress. He later joined Congress(S) and his party merged with NCP when the latter was formed. The six-time MLA was first elected to the assembly in 1980 from Peringalam in Kannur. He served as the transport minister in the outgoing LDF government. 
Wife of CPM state secretary A Vijayaraghavan, she is a central committee member of All-India Democratic Women’s Association. She was the first woman mayor of Thrissur. She was the head of the department of English and vice-principal of Thrissur Kerala Varma College. 
Considered a party ideologue from Kannur, M V Govindan is a central committee member and one of the top leaders of CPM in the state. He is a member of the CPM state secretariat. A former DYFI state president, M V Govindan had served as the Chief Editor of party mouthpiece Deshabhimani for some time. He is a three-time MLA, and has won from Taliparamba constituency. 
National president of DYFI, P A Mohamed Riyas started his political career through SFI while studying at St Joseph’s High School. He was instrumental in breaking the MSF monopoly at Farooq College in 1997. He had unsuccessfully contested from Kozhikode constituency in the 2009 LS polls. Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter T Veena is his wife. 
A native of Kozhikode, Ahamed began his political life as a Muslim Students Federation activist. He has been with the organisation since the formation of the INL under the leadership of Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait. Ahamed is currently INL national general secretary. He defeated IUML’s Noorbina Rasheed in the election. 
Winning twice from a constituency that IUML kept as its citadel for more than five decades helped V Abdurahiman find a place in the government. He started his political career in KSU. He left Congress in 2014 and contested unsuccessfully against IUML from Ponnani Lok Sabha seat as an LDF candidate. 
V Sivankutty enters the cabinet with the distinction of winning back BJP’s lone sitting seat in the state. He was the state president of SFI and had served as the president of Ulloor panchayat and Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. He is currently a state committee member of CPM and CITU state secretary. His wife Parvathy Devi is the daughter of CPM ideologue the late P Govinda Pillai. 
Antony Raju trounced sitting MLA V S Sivakumar to win the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. He started his political career as the student leader of KSC, a feeder organisation of the Kerala Congress. 
Anil won the maiden assembly election from Nedumangad. He had earlier served as the health and education standing committee chairman of T’Puram corporation. He is currently the district secretary of CPI. His wife R Lathadevi is a former MLA. 
This is Balagopal’s maiden term in the assembly. He had been a Rajya Sabha member. During the tenure of V S Achuthanandan, he had been his political secretary. His political life began in SFI and he went on to become national president of SFI and DYFI. 
A two-time MP, he wrested Thrithala constituency from the Congress which it had held for a decade. He had served as district secretary, state secretary and All-India joint secretary of SFI and DYFI state and national president. He is a CPM state committee member.
College. He was first elected to the assembly in a bypoll necessitated following the death of the Chengannur MLA in 2018. He was earlier unsuccessfully contested against P C Vishnunadh from the same constituency. He was SFI district president, DYFI district secretary and CPM district secretary.
A native of Palamel in Alappuzha, he began his political career through AISF. Later, he worked as AISF state president and state executive member. He had also been an additional private secretary to former minister Binoy Viswom and Thiruvananthapuram unit manager of Janayugom, CPI mouthpiece. 
Vasavan entered politics through SFI. He was elected the CPM district secretary in 2015. After his unsuccessful contest against Oommen Chandy in Puthuppally in 1987 and 1991 assembly elections, he became an MLA in 2006 from Kottayam constituency. 
A three-time MLA from Adoor, he had started his political career as an activist of AISF and held various positions in AIYF and Kisan Sabha. A former panchayat president of Kottarakkara, he had also served as Agriculture Workers’ Welfare Board chairman.
