Etala slams Nadda over Covid remark

Health minister Etala Rajendar on Sunday questioned BJP president J.P. Nadda over the Covid-19 situation in BJP-ruled states.

Taking serious objections to Nadda’s remarks that the TS government had failed in containing the pandemic, the minister said such statements from the BJP chief were uncalled for and irresponsible, when the country is struggling to get over the pandemic.

Speaking to reporters, Rajendar said though the Covid-19 is raging in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states, leaders from the BJP had had the audacity to criticise TS for its Covid-19 response.

He said, “When there is a cordial relationship between the Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and teams from the

Centre have appreciated Telangana’s response to Coronavirus, such irresponsible comments are an attempt to create needless frictions.”

The minister accused the Centre of diverting a high-end medical diagnostic device – procured by Telangana state to enhance its Covid-19 testing capacity – from Chennai to West Bengal. He said, “This machine could have increased our testing capacity to 4,500 per day. But it was diverted to West Bengal from Chennai by the Centre. I took up the issue with Union health minister Harsh Vardhan and DG of ICMR, Dr Balram Bhargava. They said it was diverted because the situation in West Bengal was not good.”

Despite this, Rajendar said, the TS government was focusing on developing its own capacities and abilities. He asked about the number of times ICMR has changed its guidelines.