BJP taunts Cong for Punjab infighting, vaccine ‘scam’

Saffron party takes a swipe at Rahul, says he should fix Congress-ruled states before lecturing others

With the Congress leadership busy diffusing a possible political crisis in Punjab in the wake of growing infighting, the BJP on Friday accused the Amarinder Singh-led state government of deserting people during the ongoing pandemic and “making a profit from vaccination”.

Citing media reports claiming that the Punjab government made profits by selling its quota of vaccines to private hospitals — which cost the government `420 per dose, were sold at `1,060 and were then administered by hospitals at a price for `1,560 — the BJP also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and told him that instead of giving lectures to others, he should first consider how to set things right in the state ruled by his party.

“Today the entire (Congress) party and the government of Punjab are in Delhi. Who will look after Punjab? Ignoring Punjab for their internal fight. This is a big sin of Congress,” said senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

After the state government came under fire over alleged profiteering from its quota of 1.14 lakh vaccines by diverting most of them to private hospitals, who sold them at an "exorbitant price," the Punjab government withdrew its order to provide one-time limited vaccine doses to the age group of 18-44 years through private hospitals and directed the hospitals to immediately return all the vaccines available with them.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who arrived in the national capital on Thursday, met a three-member committee, set up by the Congress high command to resolve infighting in the party’s state unit, at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters.

Targetting Mr Gandhi, Mr Javadekar said that Punjab has been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic but there is no proper management of inoculation drive in the state.

Today the entire (Cong) party & Punjab govt are in Delhi. Who will look after Punjab? Ignoring Punjab for their internal fight. This is a big sin of Cong.

— Prakash Javadekar, BJP leader