Modi asks BJP MPS to counter Oppn on Covid
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPS to ensure that they were quick to counter the Opposition’s allegations over the government’s Covid-19 response and the availability of vaccines, saying that the Congress was in a “coma” and was unable to digest that the BJP returned to power.
Addressing a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party, the Prime Minister said everyone should be prepared for a likely third wave of the pandemic and ensure more boots on the ground. A party leader said the PM asked the MPS to ensure that the vaccination drive in their respective constituencies was carried out without glitches.
“Since vaccination will be key in preventing infections, the PM said that not only should the MPS ensure that vaccine hesitancy is addressed, but also debunk any false claims made by the Opposition about the lack of vaccines,” the BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
Sharing details of the meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said the PM expressed concern about the attiid-19
NEW DELHI:
tude of the Opposition, especially the Congress, which, he said, still believed that only it had the right to be in power. Modi said the Congress was in a “coma” and unable to digest the BJP coming to power, the first leader quoted above said.
“Especially the Congress thinks power is their right and they work according to this mindset. PM wants discussions in Parliament to be fruitful; the Congress is showing most irresponsible behaviour by disrupting the Houses,” Joshi said.
The principal opposition party has criticised the government for its lack of preparedness for the second wave of the pandemic, which overwhelmed the health care infrastructure in the country. The opposition parties also demanded a statement from the government in Parliament on the issue. On Tuesday, while participating in a discussion on the Covsituation, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that so far, only 5.33% of the total population had received two doses of the vaccine. At Tuesday’s meet, the PM said the government was willing to hold discussions in both Houses of Parliament, but the Opposition was displaying an irresponsible behaviour. He said that the Covid-19 crisis was not a political but a humanitarian issue and the government ensured no one went hungry, another leader said, asking not to be named.
Such a pandemic has been witnessed by the world after almost 100 years; last time, in such a situation, people faced a severe food shortage, but this time the government ensured that no one slept hungry, Joshi said, quoting the PM.
Another leader said the PM told his colleagues that the Opposition has not been able to raise issues based on “logic and facts” and has therefore opted for disrupting Parliament.
The PM said that in Delhi, nearly 20% of frontline workers were still not vaccinated against Covid-19, the second leader said. He told his party colleagues that a deliberate attempt was being made to create a negative atmosphere in the country.