In recent times, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in India, officials have urged everyone to wear masks and to follow social distancing rules and other guidelines. With the risk of infection rising, some areas have also made it mandatory for people to wear masks whenever they step out into a public space.
But if you truly want to make people listen to you, practicing what you preach may be a good idea. On Friday, July 3, BJP leader Jyotiradtiya Scindia received flak from netizens after he put forth a request for everyone to "wear a mask, wash and sanitize their hands".
"We have to take precautions for ourselves, our families, and our people. I am saying this to you because I have suffered myself. It took me 30 days," the MP who recently recovered from the virus said in Madhya Pradesh. A reasonable request, especially when one considers that Scindia himself had been on the receiving end of the virus.
But as netizens pointed out, the picture shared by ANI alongside it's tweeted quote showed a mask-less Scindia making the comments.
Now, to be fair, the agency may have used an earlier photo. It is not impossible. But this image did not bear any tag that said it was a 'file photo'.
Additionally, there had been an event on Friday, July 3 to mark mark the completion of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 100 days in office.
Scindia had been present at the event. Photos from the event, shared by the state BJP handle again show Scindia without a mask.
Needless to say, netizens are not happy with the BJP lawmaker. Many on social media platforms took sarcastic jabs at him for his failure to "lead by example".
Others countered that having been 'cured' Scindia was now immune to the virus -- something that remains debated at present.
Take a look at some of the posts:
