Fight against COVID isn't a political one, it is battle to save lives: Sanjay Raut

Many patients in Maharashtra are recovering from COVID-19 and the fight is against the infection and not a political one, said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday.

Raut's statement comes after the comments made by Union Health Minister in which he had cited that the maximum number of infected cases were being reported from Maharashtra.

"My mother and my brother are infected with COVID. Many people in Maharashtra are recovering also. Today, the situation in Dharavi is under control. WHO has appreciated the efforts of BMC. I want to state these facts as some members here were criticising Maharashtra govt yesterday," Raut said in the Rajya Sabha.

"I want to ask the members how did so many people recover? Kya log bhabhi ji ke papad kha karke theek ho gaye? (Did they recover by eating Bhabhiji's papad (snack)? This isn't a political fight but a fight to save the lives of people," he added.

India's COVID-19 case tally crossed 51-lakh mark with a spike of 97,894 new cases and 1,132 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

Maharashtra has 2,97,506 active cases of coronavirus, the highest in the country. Apart from this, 7,92,832 patients have also been cured and discharged in the state while 30,883 deaths have been reported.

Earlier in the day, Raut had also raised the issue of the over the proposed privatisation of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

( With inputs from ANI )