‘Enough with festival, claps, and plates’…: Rahul Gandhi urges vaccination for all
- Rahul Gandhi was referring to last year’s Janata curfew on March 22 when people clapped and banged utensils to thank healthcare and frontline workers on the day.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday public display of gratitude for healthcare and frontline workers have had their moment and it is time now for the government to provide vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to every citizen of the country. “Even after 385 days, the fight against Corona has not been won. Enough with the festival, claps, and plates now provide vaccines to the country,” Gandhi tweeted along with a video making the appeal.
Rahul Gandhi was referring to last year’s Janata curfew on March 22 when people clapped and banged utensils to thank healthcare and frontline workers on the day. The Congress leader also mentioned the ongoing Tika Utsav or the vaccine festival, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested to states to ensure optimum utilisation of their Covid-19 vaccination capability.
“Modiji, you said the fight against Corona will be won in 18 days. You made people ring bells, bang plates, turn on their mobile’s flashlight but Corona kept advancing. A second wave is here now and lakhs of people have fallen prey to it. Stop with the ‘Eventbaazi’ and provide vaccines to everyone who needs it and stop the export of vaccines,” he added.
Gandhi also asked for financial assistance for those who have been hit by the second wave of the pandemic. “Our poor brothers and sisters should be given income support,” he said. On April 9, he wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on the state of vaccination in the country and urged the Centre to put an immediate halt to vaccine exports and involve the states as a stakeholder in the vaccination drive.
Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged people to “speak up for vaccines for all” and criticised the government for exporting vaccines instead of vaccinating its citizens. “Because the vaccine is for everyone. Because the government should pay more attention to the public than organising the events. Because everyone has the right to know where the PM Care funds are being spent. Because instead of exporting the vaccine, the government should focus on vaccinating every citizen," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.
The Congress party on Monday launched its online campaign, urging Indians to demand vaccination for everyone.