Addressing a media briefing on the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country, the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Balram Bhargava, on Thursday termed the recent New York Times article on India's Covid-19 response as "provocative" and "attention-seeking".

The article published in New York Times had claimed that the "ICMR tailored its findings to fit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's optimistic narrative despite a looming crisis".