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'No more vaccine shortage?': Rahul Gandhi's dig as Mansukh Mandaviya replaces Harsh Vardhan as health minister
has been a harsh critic of the Centre’s vaccination policy for months. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on numerous counts, to end the 'shortage' of vaccine doses in the country, a claim that the BJP-led government debunked as a “lie”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi once again took a dig at the alleged deficiency of vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India, at a time when Mansukh Mandaviya replaces Dr Harsh Vardhan as the health minister of the country. Mandaviya took charge of the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rejig of the Union cabinet.
The change in the portfolio comes at a crucial juncture when India is in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic, with reports of vaccine shortages plaguing various parts of the country.
"Does this mean no more vaccine shortage?" the Congress leader asked, popping his post with the hashtag "#change". Rahul Gandhi’s veiled jibe at the cabinet reshuffle seems to have pointed out a question: If the new health minister would respond to the issue of vaccine deficiency, or if he would follow in the footsteps of his predecessor who frequently hit back against critiques over the same.
The former Congress president has been a harsh critic of the Centre’s vaccination policy for months. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on numerous counts, to end the 'shortage' of vaccine doses in the country, a claim that the BJP-led government debunked as a “lie”.
Earlier on several occasions, Gandhi took potshots at the Centre’s vaccination policy, which he has described as “lacking”. Just last week, the Congress leader had questioned the government on vaccine availability and asked, "It's July already, yet there are no vaccines. Where are the vaccines?"
Hitting back at Gandhi, the then health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan had, in turn, asked, "What is Rahul Gandhi's problem? Does he not read? Does he not understand?" The former minister had added that "facts" regarding vaccine availability have been put out by the government for the month of July. "There is no vaccine for the virus of arrogance and ignorance," he remarked, adding that Congress must think about a "leadership overhaul".
Last Saturday, Rahul Gandhi shared a cumulative vaccination tracker and pointed out that India's actual Covid-19 vaccination rate is 27% below the government's target rate to avoid a potential third wave of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, there have been reports of vaccine shortages across the country. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday that the national capital has run out of vaccines once again and urged the Centre to provide vaccines as per the requirement to the people of Delhi.
Last week, the Odisha government halted the vaccination drive in 16 of its districts owing to a "shortage" of Covishield doses. Meanwhile, the Himata Biswa Sarma-led Assam government said that it could only vaccinate a population 45% less than the set target, due to a massive shortage of Covid-19 vaccines.
In Maharashtra, the administration suspended the vaccination drive across 281 civic-run centers and 20 government-run centers in Mumbai last week due to a shortage of stocks. Several other states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, etc have also said that they are facing a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines.