The Congress on Sunday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the entire nation had come together to fight the epidemic except for the “sunshine patriots” who have either gone into hiding or are obfuscating the truth and “communalising the situation”.
A “sunshine patriot”, a term coined by the 18th-century political activist and theorist Thomas Paine, is one who claims to fight for his country when the going is good but turns his back on it when the situation gets tough.
The Congress was clearly alluding to people who flaunt their patriotism and chant “Bharat Mata ki jai” in favourable times but disappear during crises. By alleging attempts to give a communal twist to the Covid situation, the party left no one in any doubt who its target was.