West Bengal elections 2021: Speaking against Modi is speaking against democracy, says Suvendu Adhikari

Kolkata, Mar 19: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nemesis Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said that speaking against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is equivalent to speaking against democracy. He also said that people should take the coronavirus vaccine since Narendra Modi is the elected Prime Minister.

"You'll have to take PM Modi's vaccine against Covid. He's the elected PM. Speaking against him is speaking against democracy. Speaking against him is speaking against Bharat Mata. Pakistan and Bangladesh don't have vaccine, so you'll have to take PM Modi's vaccine," Adhikari said on the campaign trail in poll-bound West Bengal.

His remarks come in the backdrop of criticism by the Trinamool Congress over the alarming spike in COVID-19 cases despite the nationwide vaccination drive which has been underway since mid-January.

Amid a worrying surge in coronavirus cases, India recorded nearly 40,000 fresh infections in the last 24 hours - highest daily-rise since November 29 - as government warns against protocol violations and authorities prepare for a second COVID wave.

39,726 new cases took India's COVID tally to 1,15,14,331; 154 deaths in the last 24 hours took the total number fatalities to 1,59,370. Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat are the five states that have recorded the highest single-day surge since yesterday, government data shows.