Congress president Sonia Gandhi reminded the Prime Minister of his “rajharma” on a day a chief minister struggling with a Covid surge in his state revealed that he had tried to reach Narendra Modi to seek help on oxygen supplies, only to be told the Prime Minister was busy with the Bengal election campaign.

“Maharashtra needs oxygen supply…. I contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the need for oxygen supply, but he wasn’t available on phone… since he was busy with the West Bengal poll campaign. But the Centre is cooperating with the state,” Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is quoted as saying in a release issued by the chief minister’s office.

Maharashtra, which is among the states reporting the highest number of new coronavirus cases, has been repeatedly flagging the need for more oxygen.

Union minister Piyush Goyal lashed out at Thackeray, accusing his government of being “corrupt” and “inept”. Maharashtra had received the maximum oxygen supply, he said.

Sonia regretted that the Modi government was resorting to political brinkmanship at a time people faced unprecedented miseries.

Recalling that there was no response to her letter to the Prime Minister on certain measures she suggested, Sonia said at the Congress Working Committee meeting: “There has been thundering silence on the part of the government. Instead of listening to the constructive suggestions of the Opposition, Union ministers are pressed into service to attack leaders of the Opposition for giving those suggestions. This convoluted ‘me versus you’ debate is childish and totally unnecessary.”

Arguing that callous mismanagement by the government has pushed the country into crisis again, she added: “Let us ensure that the suggestions our party puts forward are considered by the government in the spirit of true democratic traditions. Taking on these challenging times as Indians rather than as political opponents will be true rajdharma (a ruler’s duty).”

Various suggestions given by the senior leaders at the CWC meeting on Saturday are being collated and will be part of a letter former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will write to Modi on Sunday.

Some leaders said while vaccines being given to the poor and underdeveloped countries was understandable, gift and export to rich countries was avoidable.

Sonia said: “Considering the highest infection rate in the world in our own country, shouldn’t vaccine export be held back and priority given to protect our citizens? How is boasting about our generosity to other countries going to help the thousands of our people who are dying.”

Sonia also reiterated the party’s demand for transferring Rs 6,000 to the accounts of poor people immediately in the wake of economic disruption caused by partial lockdowns.

Asked if a total national lockdown was called for, senior leader P. Chidambaram said: “The government’s mismanagement is pushing states towards that. But lockdown will hit the economy, which is already in a dire state.”