Kamal raps Modi govt for ‘mishandling’ 2nd wave of COVID

CHENNAI: MNM president Kamal Haasan on Wednesday hit out at Narendra Modi government at the Centre over its handling of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

“A Union Minister tweeted that his brother did not get a bed. Another Minister says how can states come to us and ask for medicine without controlling the spread of coronavirus? The Prime Minister, who has to lead the country from the front, has been giving various fancy names like ‘Vaccination Festival’ and ‘Oxygen Express’ during his election campaign break,” he said in a statement.

Pointing out that coronavirus infection has been spreading like a wildfire infecting big leaders to common people and even a large number of children, he said that amid the complaints of unavailability of the hospital beds, oxygen, Remdesivir drug and vaccine, the fact that Prime Minister was also unavailable when called during the emergency.

He took exception over the state governments have not yet been given full freedom to purchase drugs and said, “It is ridiculous to have power only in the hands of those who cannot provide solutions. This also not the time to do politics. It is time for the Centre and states, voluntary organisations and political parties to work in unison with clear planning. Every wing of the state must function without the slightest error in controlling corona infections and treating patients,” he said.

Kamal said that widespread fears about the COVID-19 vaccination prevail due to a lack of awareness about the non-dangerous side effects of the vaccine. “When world over there is a shortage of vaccines, Tamil Nadu has shockingly wasted 12.10 per cent of the total allocated 54.28 lakh vaccines. People are wondering whether the state has come to a standstill waiting for the Assembly elections result,” he asked.