Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the BJP’s sudden promise to provide universal free vaccination against Covid-19, if voted to power in Bengal, was not only unconstitutional but a “gross violation” of the model code of conduct.
Mamata added that she had been promising free vaccination for all as the chief minister since February.
The Bengal BJP on Friday suddenly launched a campaign on social media, saying as soon as the party comes to power here, there would be free, universal vaccination against Covid-19.
Though the BJP’s free-vaccine announcements on social media carried a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was conspicuously silent on the matter in his campaign speech hours later.
“This is not true, what they (the BJP) are saying. Before the Bihar elections (last year) also, they had promised free vaccines if the BJP came to power there. We here had announced it in the month of February. So, it is too late now (for the BJP),” said Mamata at Bolpur.
“This campaign by them means that only if the BJP is in power in a state will they give free vaccines to all, and not so in states where non-BJP parties are in power. Do you think it is proper for the country? Is it constitutionally right? It is absolutely wrong… and it is a gross violation of the model code,” she added.
“It would have still been okay had their manifesto included it. This being said now is not only wrong but also fake.”
She went on to criticise Modi and his government for the mismanagement of India’s war efforts against the pandemic.
“Such an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Modi’s vision of a self-reliant India), where there is no oxygen, no medicines, no vaccines for Covid patients. There is nothing in the country, and they are chanting the slogan of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It is only Atmanirbhar BJP,” said the Trinamul chief .
“They neglected the Covid situation across the entire country only to try and loot the Bengal election. I say again in no uncertain terms that Modi and (Union home minister Amit) Shah must take full responsibility and resign,” she added.
Mamata also lambasted the Election Commission for conducting the Bengal elections over eight phases in two months, despite the raging pandemic.
“It was a deliberate move to kill people (by the poll panel) and conduct the election in eight phases. You stopped campaigning but did not (club) the (remaining phases of) elections,” said Mamata, accusing the EC repeatedly of having succumbed to BJP’s pressure.
Asked if the state government and the Centre were working together to combat Covid-19, Mamata said this time the Centre did “nothing”.
“The last time (during the first wave), we worked together. This time, the central government has done nothing…(it is) their monumental failure and negligence,” said Mamata.
