Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday slammed the Centre, administration and public for becoming negligent after the first wave of COVID-19, which led India into the second and more lethal wave, causing a nationwide medical crisis.

“We are facing this situation as government, administration and public – all became negligent after first COVID wave,” reported PTI quoting Bhagwat. He was speaking at the ‘Positivity Unlimited’ series of lectures organised by the RSS to motivate and induce positivity among people amid the pandemic.

The 70-year-old RSS chief, who tested positive for COVID on April 10 and was hospitalised in Nagpur, said, “These [pandemic] are testing times but we have to stay united and work as a team.”

“Success and failure are not final, courage to continue is what matters,” he added, referring to the COVID situation in the country. Bhagwat also warned of making irrational statements in current scenarios.

Being coordinated by the ‘Covid Response Team’ (CRT), an outfit formed by the RSS and its affiliates in association with various civil services groups, the “‘Positivity Unlimited’ series was held over five days beginning May 11, reported PTI.

Various renowned personalities such as Bhagwat, Wipro Group founder Azim Premji, Sri Sri Ravishankar of Art of Living, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation and several other spiritual leaders addressed the people as part of the series.

India on Friday recorded 326,098 cases of COVID-19. The tally of COVID-19 in the country now stands at 24,372,907, as per Union Health Ministry’s data.