Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said the Narendra Modi government used the Covid-19 vaccination drive as a PR exercise and created shortages in India by exporting vaccines.
Echoing the sentiment expressed by Rahul Gandhi in his letter to Modi, Sonia said: “Covid is surging. As the principal Opposition party, it’s our responsibility to raise issues and push the government to move away from PR tactics and act in the interest of the people. The Modi government has mismanaged the situation — exported vaccine and allowed a shortage to be created in India.”
Sonia was speaking at a videoconference with Congress chief ministers and health ministers of states where the party is in power.
Without talking of a ban on exports, she said: “We must focus on India’s vaccination drive first and foremost, then only export vaccines and gift them to other countries.”
Rahul had demanded a moratorium on the export of Covid-19 vaccines.
On Saturday, Rahul tweeted: “What India needs? Jobs & Jabs. What BJP Government gives? Jumlas & Jibes.”
The Congress said the export of Covid-19 vaccines was aimed at refurbishing the Prime Minister’s image abroad and objected to Modi’s photograph on the vaccination certificate.
During Saturday’s meeting, Sonia raised several questions: “Is there enough vaccine available? Has the central government been cooperative? What are our states doing to ensure availability of the oxygen, ventilators and other facilities as the pandemic grows? What is your view on lockdown? What about the economic fallout? How bad is the situation in your state? Should not public gatherings, including election rallies, be cancelled?”
While the chief ministers and health ministers said the vaccination crisis was real, they also favoured strict social-distancing norms and financial assistance to the poor.
Sonia’s emphasis on cancelling poll rallies and other gatherings is interesting as the Congress too ran crowded campaigns in states where it had high stakes.
Sonia said: “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.”
Though it is for the central government and the Election Commission to decide how the campaigns should be conducted or whether the elections should be held at all, even as an Opposition party the demand for cancellation of rallies has come a bit late.
Sonia also asked for transparency, arguing that the governments must reveal the actual number of infections and deaths across states, whether Congress-ruled or otherwise. “Cooperation with states respecting federalism and, in turn, for us to be constructive and cooperate with the government in its efforts to fight the pandemic is equally important. We are all united in this fight,” she added.
Rahul, who was also present at the meeting, expressed deep concern over the second Covid wave and warned governments against complacency and premature victories. He also sought financial support, advocating a scheme that guarantees basic income for the poor.
While chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Punjab — Bhupesh Baghel and Amarinder Singh — said their states would run out of vaccine stocks in three days, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the shortage was real and the Centre must not treat states like adversaries as they were stakeholders in the fight against Covid.
Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat said the state had the capacity to vaccinate five lakh people in a day provided the Centre supplied enough doses. He also complained of shortage of ventilators and medicine, arguing that no state had the wherewithal to tackle this extraordinary situation without central help.
