CONGRESS SLAMS CENTRE OVER PPE SERBIA EXPORT AMID SHORTAGE

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the export of 90 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Serbia at a time when India’s health workers are struggling to get their necessary supply amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“What is this happening Mr Prime Minister Narendra Modi? While Frontline Indian Health workers are struggling for protective equipment we are supplying Serbia. Air India to fly out Germans and 90 tonnes of Protective Medical Equipment to Serbia. Are we nuts? This is CRIMINAL,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari tweeted.

People familiar with developments said an assessment by the commerce and external affairs ministries concluded the equipment sent to Serbia – 3.5 million pairs of surgical gloves sold by a Kerala-based private company – was not on the list of medical gear whose export is prohibited.

At the Congress’s news briefing, party spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill alleged that when doctors and nurses across the country are crying for better equipment, the central government was exporting PPE to Serbia.

Shergill attacked the government for using Air India to fly out German nationals when Indian migrant labourers are dying on the roads.

“This is heartless, shameless and brainless behaviour of the BJP government,” he alleged. On March 29, the official Twitter handle of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia said a Boeing 747 had arrived in Belgrade with 90 tonnes of medical protective equipment from India.

› What is this happening Mr PM Narendra Modi? While Frontline Indian Health workers are struggling for protective equipment we are supplying Serbia

MANISH TEWARI, Cong spokesman