Covid: Oppn accuses govt of mishandling second wave
NEW DELHI: The Opposition on Thursday hit out at the government over COVID-19 management, accusing it of mishandling the second wave and demanded that international flights be stopped in view of the emerging scenario due to the new strain of coronavirus. Participating in a discussion on the Covid pandemic in Lok Sabha, the Opposition demanded that the government should inform the House about the roadmap for vaccination and booster dose and should also clarify as how many actual deaths have taken place due to COVID19, even as the government hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's steps to combat the pandemic.
Initiating the debate, Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut lamented that Parliament was discussing the issue 21 months after the outbreak of the disease and at a time when cases were on the decline. Referring to the Omicron variant of the virus, he demanded close coordination among state governments and the Centre.
On COVID-19 vaccination, Raut accused the Centre of allocating vaccine doses to BJP-ruled states in excess and at the cost of non-BJP ruled states. "The prime minister's responsibility is for the entire 130 crore population. It should not be so that you look at Maharashtra with a sly glance, help Gujarat in good measure and make maximum allocations to Uttar Pradesh because it is going to polls. Allocations should be made on the basis of the population," the Sena leader said.
He also described as "premature" the celebrations in
India over crossing the 100 crore milestone in COVID-19 vaccinations.
"Till date, only 38 per cent of the population has received both the doses of vaccines. Should we be satisfied with this? We cannot launch premature celebrations for 100 crore doses," Raut said.
BJP's Jagdambika Pal said both Opposition and the Treasury benches sharing views on Covid was a step that reflected "strengthening of democracy". He hailed the prime minister's resolve to build an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' following the Covid outbreak.
Pal dismissed
Opposition criticism that BJP-ruled states were favoured in battling Covid and said there was no discrimination in fighting the pandemic. Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party, Pal said when the leaders of these parties were "locked" in their homes, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was going to every district saving lives and had himself contracted Covid.
Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress charged the government of ignoring various warnings leading to shortage of bed, oxygen and ventilators in the second wave. The second wave has resulted in the hardship for poor as many of them have lost jobs, he said. Instead of supporting them, he said, the government robbed them by increasing prices of LPG cylinder, petrol and diesel.
They should have rather increased corporate tax if the government was falling short of funds, Gogoi said, adding, the government has money to spend on Central Vista project but no money to support the poor.