Gujarat CM and Cong's Ahmed Patel spar over Ahmedabad virus test numbers

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Congress leader Ahmed Patel got engaged in twitter spar after latter raised a question on the former regarding the reducing number of novel coronavirus tests in Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad(Gujarat): Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday attacked senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel after the latter questioned the government for 'reducing' the number of novel coronavirus tests in hotspot Ahmedabad which accounts for a vast majority of COVID-19 cases in the state.

Patel, in a tweet, attached a graph showing the number of tests in Ahmedabad dropping from 2,522 on May 1 to 1,240 on May 14.

• Why is Gujarat government reducing testing? This is very disturbing & is contrary to national policy of increasing tests .
  
  In a pandemic it is important to be honest about the problem rather than trying to conceal it pic.twitter.com/UFAgqz9Jpi

  — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 16, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Why is Gujarat government reducing testing? This is very disturbing & is contrary to national policy of increasing tests .
  
  In a pandemic it is important to be honest about the problem rather than trying to conceal it pic.twitter.com/UFAgqz9Jpi

  — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 16, 2020

  ">

  Why is Gujarat government reducing testing? This is very disturbing & is contrary to national policy of increasing tests .
  
  In a pandemic it is important to be honest about the problem rather than trying to conceal it pic.twitter.com/UFAgqz9Jpi

  — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 16, 2020

"Why is Gujarat government reducing testing? This is very disturbing & is contrary to national policy of increasing tests. In a pandemic it is important to be honest about the problem rather than trying to conceal it," Patel tweeted.

As per the graph shared by Patel, 1,724 samples were tested for coronavirus in Ahmedabad district on May 17, as against 2,522 samples on May 1. On May 12, 1,227 samples were tested, while on May 13,it was 1,503 samples, and 1,240 on May 14, Patel's graph showed.

Hitting back, CM Rupani tweeted a table of total tests conducted in Gujarat, as well as in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara districts till May 16.

"Mr. AHMED PATEL, Gujarat has not at all decreased number of tests. Kindly re-check your information sources which are far away from facts and ground realities," he said in his tweet. Rupani said Gujarat had so far tested 1,27,858 samples for coronavirus, at the rate of 1,943.3 samples per million people, which was higher than the country's per million average of 1,478 tests. He said 52,277 samples had been tested in Ahmedabad district, at the rate of 6419.5 samples per million.

• Mr. AHMED PATEL, Gujarat has not at all decreased number of tests. Kindly recheck your information sources which are far away from facts and ground realities. https://t.co/fZZAFNDt8D pic.twitter.com/A6HA3DeFLe

  — Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) May 16, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Mr. AHMED PATEL, Gujarat has not at all decreased number of tests. Kindly recheck your information sources which are far away from facts and ground realities. https://t.co/fZZAFNDt8D pic.twitter.com/A6HA3DeFLe

  — Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) May 16, 2020

  ">

  Mr. AHMED PATEL, Gujarat has not at all decreased number of tests. Kindly recheck your information sources which are far away from facts and ground realities. https://t.co/fZZAFNDt8D pic.twitter.com/A6HA3DeFLe

  — Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) May 16, 2020

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Giving a befitting reply, Congress leader attached a table showing number of tests conducted in Gujarat from May 3 to May 14 stating that he has taken the data from the state's government website. Accusing Rupani of hiding cumulative tests, Ahmed asked ,"How many tests have been conducted per day in last 15 days?

Continuing the spar on micro-blogging site, he tweeted,"Mr. CM, Gujarati culture doesn’t permit me to use the tone u have used. My source is ur govt data:http://gujcovid19.gujarat.gov.in. Either u or ur govt is wrong, someone must resign? Stop hiding behind no of cumulative tests,how many tests have been conducted per day in last 15 days?".

Surat saw 23,928 samples being tested, which is 3479.5samples per million, while in Vadodara, the figure was 6,371samples, at a rate of 2,048.8 samples per million.

• Mr CM,
  1)Gujarati culture doesn’t permit me to use the tone u have used
  
  2)My source is ur govt data:https://t.co/7YPi0F3IGD
  Either u or ur govt is wrong, someone must resign?
  
  3)Stop hiding behind no of cumulative tests,how many tests have been conducted per day in last 15 days? https://t.co/HtEqPH2QsP pic.twitter.com/x5ayx5UMeg

  — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 16, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Mr CM,
  1)Gujarati culture doesn’t permit me to use the tone u have used
  
  2)My source is ur govt data:https://t.co/7YPi0F3IGD
  Either u or ur govt is wrong, someone must resign?
  
  3)Stop hiding behind no of cumulative tests,how many tests have been conducted per day in last 15 days? https://t.co/HtEqPH2QsP pic.twitter.com/x5ayx5UMeg

  — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 16, 2020

  ">

  Mr CM,
  1)Gujarati culture doesn’t permit me to use the tone u have used
  
  2)My source is ur govt data:https://t.co/7YPi0F3IGD
  Either u or ur govt is wrong, someone must resign?
  
  3)Stop hiding behind no of cumulative tests,how many tests have been conducted per day in last 15 days? https://t.co/HtEqPH2QsP pic.twitter.com/x5ayx5UMeg

  — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) May 16, 2020

As on Friday afternoon, Gujarat has 9,932 coronavirus positive cases, including 606 deaths, and 4,035 people having recovered from the infection. Out of this, Ahmedabad accounts for 7,171 COVID-19 cases,479 deaths, with 2,382 people having recovered. (PTI)

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