Former Kerala fisheries minister and CPM state committee member J. Mercykutty Amma has praised China and the Taliban. “China ranks first in the list of countries without hunger, while India ranks 111th,” she said. China tops the list of countries without hunger and accounts for 17% of the world economy, she added.

“While our PM Narendra Modi has been boasting for the past few days that India has distributed 100 crore vaccines, China has distributed 270 crore vaccines, ”said Mercikutty Amma. “China has given 76% of its population two doses of the vaccine,” she said.

Actually, China has delivered over 200 crore vaccines, not 270 crore, and has vaccinated 104.8 crore, or 75% of its population.

According to Mercykutty, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan ‘without any bloodshed’ after defeating the United States. Her remarks came at the inaugural address of the CPM Kundara local conference in Kollam.

Such Taliban lovers should be asked to explain why, if there is no bloodshed involved in the Taliban’s storming to power, are we seeing dead bodies being hung in public squares in a grim reminder of the 1990s? With legislators and ministers like these, is it any wonder that the public at large is unaware of the negative cascading effect the Pakistan-backed Taliban’s rise to power has had on the security situation in Kashmir? Do the likes of Mercykutty even care that 9 soldiers have lost their lives in recent days, and Hindus have been driven out of the valley in droves?

At a time when Bharat celebrates the historic achievement of 100 crore vaccinations, her words drew sharp criticisms from different sections of the society. But then again to expect anything better from the communists is foolish.