Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Wednesday became a top trend on social media after he admitted in the Supreme Court that Uttar Pradesh was suffering from severe shortages of hospital beds.
Mehta made the confession while opposing the plea to transfer Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan from the Mathura Jail. He told the court, ” I am appearing in matters pertaining to insufficiency of beds and I am also being approached by large number of people.”
Mehta, according to Livelaw, continued, “In UP also, huge people are not getting beds. I personally know huge, bonafide journalists who are not getting beds. With much difficulty, we got a bed. This is a man who is refusing to go to the relevant court. He is adamant in fighting with this association.”
No sooner were Mehta’s comments made public, netizens began to poke fun at the Yogi Adityanath government with some even advising the UP chief minister to confiscate Mehta’s property. An overwhelming majority of Twitterati concluded that this was a ‘confession’ by the UP government’s lawyer about the shortages of hospital beds in the state. They also mocked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his earlier decision to seize the property of those critical of the government policies, particularly during the last year’s anti-CAA protests.
SG just admitted in open court that there’s a shortage of beds in UP – Yogi Adityanath must act swiftly and seize Tushar Mehta’s property and promptly arrest him for anti-state activities ???????? https://t.co/8gaOIdmKkV
— shetty’s bar and restaurant (@dammitabai) April 28, 2021
Dear Adityanath please arrest SG Tushar Mehta, he is saying people are not getting beds in UP. Arrest him seize his property. https://t.co/o1ZKlBDgMM
— Ritushree ???? (@QueerNaari) April 28, 2021
When Maharaj Ji will seize the property of SG Tushar Mehta?
We want immediate action in this regard. https://t.co/pw3cuxwGuN
— ہمدرد (@tamashbeen_) April 28, 2021
Dear @myogiadityanath, Please seize Tushar Mehta’s property for saying that there are no beds in Mathura? https://t.co/TmlJ7ofuMf
— Swaroop Mami (@TnagarTornado) April 28, 2021
Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered the UP government to shift Kappan from the Mathura Jail to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences or the RML hospital in Delhi. Mehta ahd expressed his displeasure but the CJI Ramana went ahead to pass the order.