Sonia: Government has mismanaged Covid situation

Congress president calls for cancellation of all public gatherings

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accused the centre of “mismanaging” the Covid situation and creating a vaccine shortage in the country by exporting it, as she called for cancelling all public gatherings and poll rallies in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases.

Addressing a virtual meeting with the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states and ministers of the party in states where it is in power in alliance with others yesterday, she said the priority should be to test, track and vaccinate.

Invest on poor

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh and Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel were among those who participated in the meeting.

Rahul Gandhi called for putting money in the hands of the poor.

It [Modi government] has exported the vaccines and allowed a shortage to be created in India.”

Sonia Gandhi | Congress president

While Singh said that Punjab’s vaccine stock will last for five more days, Baghel said Chhattisgarh will run out of the stock in three days. Gehlot said the centre should not see states ruled by other parties as adversaries.

The Congress chief also reviewed the efforts to fight Covid-19, including the availability of vaccines, access to medicines and ventilators, chief spokesperson of the party Randeep Surjewala said.

“The (Narendra) Modi government has mismanaged the Covid situation. It has exported the vaccines and allowed a shortage to be created in India,” the Congress chief said at the meeting.

She said all public gatherings and poll rallies should be cancelled as the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise.

“Mass gatherings for elections and religious events have accelerated Covid for which all of us are responsible to some extent. We need to accept this responsibility and keep the interest of the nation above our own,” Sonia Gandhi said.