A day after Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan debunked Maharashtra’s claim about the vaccine shortage in the State, a full-fledged war of words broke between ruling MVA leaders and the Opposition BJP on Thursday over the alleged “step motherly” treatment meted to the State by the Centre in the distribution of vaccines.
Tearing into the Union Home Minister’s allegation that the issue of vaccination shortage in the State being raised by the MVA Government “was nothing but an attempt to divert attention” from its repeated failures to control the spread of pandemic”, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope reeled out statistics to allege that the Centre was discriminating against the State in distribution of jabs.
“As per the latest vaccine release order, Maharashtra is merely getting 7.5 lakh doses per week. As against the supply made to Maharashtra, the Centre gives 48 lakh doses to Uttar Pradesh, 40 lakh doses to Madya Pradesh, 30 lakh doses to Gujarat and 24 lakh doses to Haryana,” Tope said.Though he did not mention that all the four states which he named were BJP-ruled states, Tope indirectly hinted that the Modi government was being partial towards the states governed by the ruling party at the Centre.
Tope said that he had brought the discrimination against Maharashtra in the supply of vaccines to the notice of the Union Health Minister who had assured him that he would ask his ministry officials to look into the supply figure to various states and make amends to increase supply to the state.
Seeking to explain why there was a shortage of vaccine in the state, Tope said that while the active cases had crossed the 5 lakh mark and the deaths were around 57,000. “Given that the situation is so grave, will 7.5 lakh doses per week suffice for Maharashtra?. We need at least 40 lakh doses per week. In other words, we need at least 1.60 lakh doses in a month. It is only then, we will be able to implement the vaccination programme properly,” the state health minister said.
Dwelling upon the vaccine shortage in the state, Tope said: “Today, we have stopped vaccination in places like Satara, Sangli and Panvel. In Buldhana, we have one day stock.. We are a state with 50 per cent of the total patients in the entire country. That being the case, why is Maharashtra being given as less as 7.5 lakh doses while other states are being given more?”Meanwhile, former chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis hit out at the MVA government for blaming the Centre for vaccine shortage in the state.
In a series of tweets put out during the day, Fadnavis said: “Undoubtedly, #COVID19 & vaccination are important issues for our State. But since there is constant criticism on mis-governance of MVA & various exposes in courts lately, it's an Absolute Shame that vaccination politics is being played to divert people’s attention!”
“It is my earnest request to MVA to STOP such dirty politics and focus on improving the health of our Maharashtra !,” Fadnavis tweeted.
Seeking to contest Tope’s argument of dioscrimination against Maharashtra in the sup[ply of vaccines by the Centre, Fadnavis tweeted: “Only 3 states have received more than 1 crore vaccine supply : Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan. Gujarat & Rajasthan have equal populations. Rajasthan has Congress Govt in power. Vaccine supply is not on the basis of population but purely based on State's performance of execution of vaccination process.”Maharashtra received 1.06crore vaccines as mentioned in official StateGovt tweet from DGIPR on 6thApril. 91 lakh vaccines got used;means 15lakh still left with GoM. So why are vaccination centres deliberately shut down today & why peltering (sic) of false news?,” Fadnavis asked.
“Whichever states have requested for more vaccine supplies or has pendency from allocated quota, such supply is in pipeline and Maharashtra to receive another 19 lakh vaccines between 9th to 12th April,” the BJP leader said.
“Uttar Pradesh is the largest State & received 92 lakh vaccines. They have used 83 lakh doses and 9 lakh are remaining with them. Even Haryana has not received much vaccine in the first round, but is getting it now,” Fadnavis tweeted.
“Shri Sharad Pawar ji spoke to Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan ji who assured him of all the assistance to the GoM. I also discussed it with the Union Health Minister. He assured that there was never ever any biased approach towards Maharashtra & supplies are smooth,” Fadnavis tweeted.
“Since day 1 of #Covid19Pandemic, the Government of India, taking all states on board, has taken measures unitedly and in that too Maharashtra has been given maximum assistance. Even today, GoI under the leadership of Hon PM Narendra Modi ji, is providing all support to GoM to serve better, the people of Maharashtra,” the former chief minister added.
In a related development, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole demanded that the Union Health Minister apologise to the people of Maharashtra for indulging in “cheap politics” over vaccines distribution.
“Here’s Union Health Minister ( Harsh Vardhan) who has by and large been missing at a time when Covid-19 is playing havoc in the country. Harsh Vardhan is the most ineffective Union Health Minister we have seen. He stopped so low yesterday and used the most insensitive and unbecoming language. Through his language, he has insulted the 13 crore people of Maharashtra. He should apologise for the language he used yesterday,” Patole said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Union Home Minister had hit out at the Maharashtra for its “lackadaisical attitude” which had singularly bogged down the entire country's efforts to fight the virus, he said in a furious statement
Targeting indirectly the Maharashtra government, Vardhan had said: “deplorable attempts by some state governments to distract attention from their failures and spread panic among the people”.
Accusing the state's leadership of “happily sleeping at the wheels”, the Union Health Minister dismissed Maharashtra’s contention of vaccine shortage as “baseless” and said: “The inability of Maharashtra government to act responsibly is beyond comprehension. To spread panic among the people is to compound the folly further” He charged that the Maharashtra government was making “irresponsible statements” that had the potential to “mislead the public and spread panic”.