The Congress on Monday said the BJP-led Centre should make probe agencies NIA, CBI and the ED go after black-marketeers and hoarders of medicines used for coronavirus treatment in place of “using them to target political opponents”.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too accused former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of hoarding Remdesivir, saying a BJP leader holding on to the drug at a time when people are scrambling to arrange it is a “crime against humanity”.
Taking to Twitter, Priyanka tagged a video of top Maharashtra BJP leaders, including Fadnavis, arguing with police officials after the Mumbai Police questioned a pharma company director following information that thousands of vials of the Remdesivir drug, critical in COVID-19 treatment, were to be flown out of the country.
“At a time when people from every corner of the country are requesting for being provided with Remdesivir, and many are struggling to procure a bottle of Remdesivir to save their lives, a BJP leader, who was in responsible position, hoarding Remdesivir is a crime against humanity,” Priyanka said.
The Mumbai Police on Sunday said they had information that the Remdesivir stock was going to be flown abroad as air cargo, despite a ban on the export of the drug. Fadnavis claimed the director was picked up because the BJP managed to get permissions in place for the supply of the drug to Maharashtra.
“Strict action should be taken against people hoarding and black marketing vaccines, injections and medicines. The government should bring in the NIA, CBI and the Enforcement
Directorate against black-marketeers and hoarders of injections and vaccines. When you can use them to target your political opponents, why not utilise them
sensibly against black-marketeers and hoarders who are today creating all these problems in the country?” former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan said at AICC Press conference.
The Mumbai police on Saturday night questioned Rajesh Dokania, director of Bruck Pharma, a Daman-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company that manufactures Remdesivir vials, following information that thousands of vials of the Remdesivir drug critical in coronavirus treatment were to be flown out of the country. Fadnavis had rushed to the police station.
“When a person caught by Gujarat police for black marketing of remdesivir is questioned by Mumbai police, Fadnavis gheraos the police station along with some BJP leaders. Do you want to help the public or the black-marketeers,” Chavan asked.
Chavan also demanded that the Centre spells out a plan on vaccine supplies and be transparent about it.
About former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh writing to his successor Narendra Modi suggesting five measures to battle the COVID-19 crisis, Chavan said the suggestions from the opposition should be taken in a positive way.