India ’s central government on Wednesday sharply rebuked New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and distanced itself from his false claim on social media that a new strain of Covid-19 had been found in Singapore . The response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s government followed widespread derision and condemnation in the island nation over Kejriwal’s comments, with Singapore’s foreign ministry on Wednesday summoning Indian High Commissioner Kumaran Periasamy regarding the matter. In a Tuesday tweet, Kejriwal had urged India’s central government to “stop all flights” as the “new Covid-19 strain found in Singapore is being said to be very dangerous for children”. Coronavirus: no truth to India news reports on ‘Singapore variant’, says health ministry However, the strain prevalent in many of the cases recorded in the republic in recent weeks is in fact the double mutant B.1.617.2 variant, which was first found in India. Singapore’s health ministry underscored this point in a statement late on Tuesday, and said media reports that carried Kejriwal’s remarks contained “no truth whatsoever”. Both foreign ministries on Wednesday afternoon said Indian envoy Periasamy had told Singaporean officials that Kejriwal was not authorised to speak on Covid-19 variants or civil aviation policy. However, irresponsible comments from those who should know better can damage long-standing partnerships. So, let me clarify- Delhi CM does not speak for India. — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 19, 2021 Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar also took to Twitter to say New Delhi appreciated Singapore’s role as a logistics hub and oxygen supplier as the South Asian nation battles a debilitating second wave of Covid-19. “However, irresponsible comments from those who should know better can damage long-standing partnerships,” Jaishankar wrote. “So let me clarify – Delhi CM does not speak for India.” Singapore’s foreign ministry said it was “disappointed that a prominent political figure had failed to ascertain the facts before making such claims”. The episode comes amid worries about a new wave of Covid-19 in Singapore, partly arising out of cases linked to the B.1.617.2 variant. The country has racked up nearly 250 domestic cases in May, compared with 55 in April and just nine in March. To curb the spread of the disease, schools have been shut for two weeks ahead of the month-long June holidays; dining in at restaurants has been banned; and authorities have urged employers to allow employees to work from home if possible. Social gatherings have also been limited to two people, down from groups of eight. While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ’s government won praise for earlier successes – the country began a final-phase reopening of the economy in December – the latest outbreak has seen it receiving brickbats. In particular, some citizens are blaming the authorities for being too lax in banning the arrivals of foreign workers from India and other South Asian nations when the severity of the outbreak in the region became apparent in April. From April 24, Singapore suspended arrivals from India, with an exception made for citizens and permanent residents of the island nation. The prevalence of the B.1.617.2 variant has led to an uptick in racist comments against South Asians in Singapore, according to some members of the community. Singapore ramps up vaccination drive to give all adults one Covid-19 shot by early August After a Singaporean woman of Indian descent was attacked earlier this month – characterised as a rare episode of racial violence in the multiracial country – government officials have warned that a minority of people were sowing racism against local and expatriate Indians. The man who attacked the 55-year-old woman faces criminal charges for being a public nuisance, “uttering words with intent to wound the racial feeling of others” and voluntarily causing hurt. New Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal’s social-media comments proved to be a boon for commentators such as Lim Tean, leader of the anti-immigration Peoples Voice party. The politician and his party members have led criticism of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) for the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), a free-trade agreement between Singapore and India that they say is fuelling an influx of new arrivals who are stealing locals’ jobs. The government has denied this is the case. “When someone you invited into your home does not reciprocate! The PAP 4G have humiliated Singapore!” Lim wrote on Facebook in response to Kejriwal’s comments, referring to the party’s fourth-generation leadership. Others, however, sought to lower the temperature with spoofs of the episode. Many internet users shared memes depicting Kejriwal playing the Uno “Reverse” card – a reference to a card in the popular card game that reverses turns.