"It's clear that the marked opening of society – with travel, local elections, religious gatherings, weddings – led to superspreader events. And the emergence of variants certainly added speed."
"In recent weeks, he (Modi) presided over huge election rallies in West Bengal, one of five regions holding state elections throughout this month. On Thursday, Modi's close aide and home minister, Amit Shah, had at least three rallies scheduled, though attendance was belatedly capped at 500 people.
Indian officials also refused to curb this month's Kumbh Mela, one of the largest gatherings of people in the world, where millions of Hindu faithful take a ritual dip in the Ganges River. Thousands of participants tested positive for the coronavirus in the aftermath of the event, and at least one religious leader died. Last weekend, Modi tweeted that the rest of Kumbh Mela should be held "symbolically."
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/04/22/989768074/how-india-went-from-a-ray-of-hope-to-a-world-record-for-most-covid-cases-in-a-da