Rahul slams PM Modi over inoculation drive, warns of more waves
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday cautioned the central government against more waves of the Covid pandemic if the country’s vaccine strategy is not fixed as he blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second wave and asked him to form a panel that should meet daily to take stock of the crisis.
Gandhi concluded that Modi’s image is “dead” as a result of the mismanagement of the pandemic and that the ruling dispensation’s strategy to “spread lies” about Covid fatalities is not helping India’s war against the virus. “The second wave is because of the PM’S drama. The PM didn’t fulfil his responsibilities,” Gandhi said.
In a virtual press meet, Gandhi asked the government to stop blaming the states and said, “If (Chhattisgarh CM) Bhupesh Baghel, (West Bengal CM) Mamata Banerjee and Modi are on the same page, the door will be shut for the coronavirus,” adding that the government “kept the door wide open” for the virus to circulate.
“I told the PM if you don’t implement the vaccine strategy properly, you will give time and space for Covid to grow. In this way, Covid waves will continue to come. There will be a fourth, fifth or even sixth wave.”
He labelled the modified vaccine strategy that opened jabs to all adults and allowed private hospitals to sell doses as “business” and said that the US has already vaccinated 50% of its population and Brazil is also ahead of India, the vaccine manufacturing hub of the world.
“Masks, social distancing and lockdown are temporary solutions. Vaccination is the only permanent solution but its (the government’s) strategy so far has been completely wrong. The RSS-BJP doesn’t allow the PM to get any information. The PM should form a panel, hold daily meetings and talk regularly to experts to make (Covid management) strategy,” Gandhi said.
The government has set up six group of bureaucrats, a national panel on vaccines and a core group to oversee various aspects of India’s fight against Covid. Information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar hit back at Gandhi, while announcing that the country will vaccinate the entire adult population by the end of the year.