COVID-19: Hardik, Krunal Pandya to donate 200 oxygen concentrators in rural areas
New Delhi, May 1: Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday announced that his entire family, including brother Krunal, will donate 200 oxygen concentrators to help the rural areas of the country fight the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
Talking ahead of his team's match against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, Hardik said his family had been looking for ways to help those in need.
"Gratitude to all the medical staff, frontline workers and all the individuals who have come out and held their hands at such times to fight out the battle," Hardik said.
"Krunal, myself and my mother -- basically our entire family, we were finding ways at trying to help out. We decided to donate 200 oxygen concentrators to the rural parts of India where I feel the medical infrastructure needs more support," he added.
India is reeling under the second wave of the pandemic with cases rising rapidly, the crisis compounded by shortage of some crucial medicines and oxygen supplies.
The country recorded over four lakh cases since Friday.
"We all understand it's difficult, we want to show our gratitude, support and just want to tell everyone that they're always there in our prayers," Hardik added.
Several cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan and Jaydev Undakat, Australians Pat Cummins and Brett Lee, and West Indies' Nicholas Pooran also stepped up to help in the fight against COVID-19.
IPL sides are also pitching in. Rajasthan Royals have raised 7.5 crore while Delhi Capitals contributed Rs 1.5 crore for the cause.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
