Sonia slams government’s ‘deafening silence’

Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday said that Covid-19 pandemic is a national challenge that should be kept above party politics but after a year the government is caught off guard. Sonia Gandhi was speaking during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that was called virtually to discuss the issue of pandemic. In her opening remarks she said, “The Indian National Congress has always believed that fighting the Covid-19 pandemic is a national challenge that should be kept above party politics. We have extended our hands of cooperation right from February-March, 2020.”

“We cannot, however, lose sight of the fact that the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the country with fury. Despite a year to prepare, we have, regrettably, been caught off guard again,” she added.

She said that the families are being torn apart, lives and livelihoods have been lost and entire life savings depleted on healthcare.

“The gross unpreparedness and avoidable adhocism on part of the Modi Government in foreseeing, evaluating and managing the crisis,” she added.

She also said that she had written to Modi after meeting with the chief ministers who have spoken to the prime minister and written to the concerned minister from time to time pleading for relief but some of them were left with only a few days of vaccine, no oxygen or ventilators.

She alleged that there has been deafening silence on the part of the government. On the contrary some other states have received preferential treatment/relief. Instead of listening to the constructive suggestions of the opposition, union ministers are pressed into service to attack leaders of opposition for giving those suggestions.