The Congress on Thursday called attention to the heart-rending images of death and devastation during the Covid second wave as the Narendra Modi government celebrated the administration of 1 billion vaccine doses, and demanded an independent commission to investigate the Centre’s “criminal role”.

“Jashn se zakhm nahin bharte (Celebrations don’t heal wounds),” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

“How can we forget the tragedy of bodies lining up at crematoriums and strewn on riverbeds, the struggle and sufferings of millions who were abandoned by the government? How can we forget those who didn’t survive? The official figure puts the number of deaths (from Covid) at 4.53 lakh, but estimates by independent agencies fear over 50 lakh people died in India. Should there be no accountability for such a large number of deaths?” he said.

“An independent commission should be constituted to investigate the Modi government’s criminal role. The commission can give suggestions for strengthening health infrastructure and how to be prepared for such crises in future. It can also undertake a survey on the number of deaths. The commission can include judges, health experts and other independent personalities,” the party spokesperson said.

The Congress insisted it had no intention of crying down the government’s pleasures and that the Modi regime was free to use all available machinery, and the media, to hype up the 100-crore vaccination mark. The Opposition party, however, cautioned that the facts could not be buried for the government’s convenience.

The Congress pointed to the lack of preparation to tackle the deadly second wave earlier this year, the oxygen crisis, the unavailability of hospital beds and medicines and the bungling in vaccine procurement.

While congratulating doctors, nurses, health workers and scientists for combating the pandemic and administering 1 billion Covid vaccine doses, Surjewala said: “The time has come to seek accountability for (the government’s) incompetence, criminal negligence and the confused vaccination policy. The government should also answer by when the remaining population will be vaccinated as India stands at the 19th position among the top 20 countries in terms of the percentage of the total population inoculated.”

He added: “Around 29 crore people have got both doses and 42 crore have received only one dose. This also means 32 crore adults haven’t received any dose. To complete the task by December 31, the government needs 151 lakh doses daily. Then our children are at great risk. Vaccines have been developed (for kids), why the delay in decision-making?”

The Congress also raised issues such as the need for a booster dose, delay in clearance to vaccine manufacturers given approval to sell their products in India and the absence of recognition to the indigenous vaccine, Covaxin, by countries and global agencies.

The party questioned the government’s propaganda on free vaccines, pointing out that several BJP leaders and ministers had themselves said petroleum products were being taxed steeply to pool resources for the vaccination drive.

Surjewala said that while vaccinating the entire population would barely need Rs 20,600 crore, the government had earned lakhs of crores through enhanced taxes on petrol, diesel and cooking gas.