The Congress on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing India from “a vaccine leader to a vaccine beggar” and for failing to anticipate the second Covid-19 wave.
In a statement, Congress leader Ajay Maken dismissed Modi’s address to the nation on Tuesday as empty rhetoric. “States and common people were expecting relief from the Prime Minister. But as always, 18 minutes of...[his] speech disappointed everyone. It had no direction, no empathy for the poor, and those affected by the pandemic were left high and dry.”
Also Watch | ‘BJP speaks to ISI, not opposition,’ says Priyanka Gandhi; Patra hits back
Maken questioned why only 1.3% of the Indian population had been vaccinated against Covid-19 even though India is the world’s largest vaccination producer and why did India export twice the amount of medical oxygen in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20 despite its requirement amid the pandemic.
He referred to the week-long lockdown imposed in Delhi and added it seems nothing was learnt from the mass exodus of migrant workers last year. Maken sought a monthly cash transfer of ₹6,000 into the accounts of the poor, adequate food supply to the urban poor during the lockdown and dignified arrangements for the migrant workers returning to their home states.
{{/usCountry}}He referred to the week-long lockdown imposed in Delhi and added it seems nothing was learnt from the mass exodus of migrant workers last year. Maken sought a monthly cash transfer of ₹6,000 into the accounts of the poor, adequate food supply to the urban poor during the lockdown and dignified arrangements for the migrant workers returning to their home states.
{{/usCountry}}There was no immediate response from the Bharatiya Janata Party.