Centre responsible for surge in Covid cases, says Mamata
TO INITIATE FREE-OF-COST VACCINATION IN URBAN AREAS
KOLKATA: Holding the BJPled Central government solely responsible for the spike in Covid cases across the country, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that freeof-cost vaccination drive would be taken up in urban areas starting from Kolkata from Wednesday onward.
Though she did not detail much about the vaccination drive, Banerjee said: “I want to ensure free-of-cost vaccination for everyone in the state. I had written to the Prime Minister three months back, before the election dates were announced, to provide us a vaccine so that we can carry out free-of-cost vaccination for all 10 crore people of Bengal. We were also ready to make payment for the same. But they did not provide us the same. However, we have arranged a stock and it would be given free-ofcost to people at health centres in urban areas. It would initiate from Kolkata.”
Raising allegation that she has heard about a vaccination drive being held at a party officer of BJP at Surat in Gujarat, Banerjee said: “It is just because of the callous attitude of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the Covid graph in the country has once again shot up. They did not come out of their houses to support people during Covid. They only come ahead of the polls.” She also termed the Centre as a faceless government that befooled people saying of “double engine” government and raised apprehension that the price of cooking gas would be further increased the day after the election got over.
“We remain with people round the year. I hit the street risking my life at the time of Covid and visited market places, hospitals, etc. I drew circles on the road to make people aware about maintaining physical distance. We remain with people during Covid and Amphan like situations and also in festivals of all regions,” Banerjee said while holding a public meeting at Bidhannagar.
Praising her party's candidate from Bidhannagar and outgoing state Fire minister Sujit Bose, Banerjee said: “There was an incident of fire in the city on Monday. I called Sujit and he reached the spot within a minute.”
Giving a call not to cast a vote in favour of “Mir Jafars” and “gaddars”, she urged people to exercise the power in favour of TMC to sustain peace in the state. She cited the example of violence at Barrackpore after BJP's Arjun Singh had won as the local MP while saying the same. Her call not to cast votes in favour of any defector came relevant as turncoat Sabyasachi Dutta is contesting as BJP candidate from Bidhannagar Assembly segment.
Addressing a rally at Barasat she said: “Why the Prime Minister holds election campaigns on the days of polls? It would not have mattered if he was a simple leader. But we have to keep in mind that he is the Prime Minister and he is a great liar. He is misleading and cheating people considering himself as a super god. I would urge the ECI to stop the Prime Minister's campaigns on the days of polls. I will also not hold the rallies on these days,” Banerjee said, adding that both (Modi and Shah) mislead the people during their rallies at Jalpaiguri, Krishanagar and Burdwan.