Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has made a sensational claim, saying that Covid-19 owes its origin to man-made sources. He was speaking to NDTV while making the statement.

"We have to understand the art of living with corona. This is not a natural virus. It is an artificial virus and now many countries in the whole world - they are researching on it for a vaccine," Gadkari has been quoted as saying by the TV channel.

Commentators feel that this is a big statement. "Gadkari is the first Indian Minister to put the blame on shady labs in China. Although he hasn't mentioned the country's name (China), it's pretty much clear that the Modi government's Minister has linked Covid-19 to Chinese labs," a social media influencer wrote on Twitter.

It has to be seen what kind of repercussions, if any, the statement might have. It ha also to be seen whether this is the view of just Gadkari or of the Modi government, too.