Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an immediate moratorium on Covid-19 vaccine exports and opening up of the vaccination to “everyone who needs it”.
Rahul also asked for a provision of a direct income support to the vulnerable sections amid the disastrous second wave of Covid-19 in India, as he extended his support to the vaccination programme. “I humbly request you to provide vaccine suppliers with necessary resources to increase manufacturing capacity and place an immediate moratorium on vaccine export,” Rahul Gandhi said in his letter to the Prime Minister.
“Open up vaccination to everyone who needs it,” he demanded, seeking fast-tracking of approval of other vaccines as per norms and guidelines. He also asked the Prime Minister to double the central allocation for vaccine procurement from the existing `35,000 crore and give State Governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution.
His suggestions came a day after Prime Minister Modi said vaccines will have to be prioritised due to limited supply and lamented that some people were playing politics on the issue. Questioning the Government for permitting large-scale exports of vaccines, he said, “While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than six crore doses of vaccines have been exported.”
The Gandhi scion alleged that the state governments were repeatedly highlighting vaccine shortages only to receive intemperate statements by the union health minister. He accused the health minister of targeting Opposition-ruled states and undercutting cooperative federalism.
“Was the export of vaccines also an ‘oversight’, like many other decisions of this government, or an effort to garner publicity at the cost of our own citizens,” he asked. Stressing that his party supports a well-planned, universalised and speedy vaccination drive, he said, “Our vaccination program has to move beyond an individual’s
picture on the vaccine certificate, towards guaranteeing maximum vaccination.”
Expressing concern over the rising cases of the coronavirus, the former Congress chief said that over the last year, the country suffered irreparable losses, made tremendous sacrifices, and yet, it is under a renewed attack by this virus.
“This is unfortunate considering our scientific
community and vaccine
suppliers worked overtime to develop a solution but their efforts are undermined by the Centre’s poor implementation and ‘oversight’,” he said. Lamenting that the vaccination drive is slow, Rahul Gandhi claimed at the current rate, it would take years to inoculate 75 per cent of the population.
“This will have catastrophic effects and will gravely decelerate India’s economy,” he added.
Hours after Rahul wrote to the PM, hitting back, senior Ravi Shankar Prasad took to Twitter to counter Rahul’s allegations and mentioned, “Rahul Gandhi must know that shortage in Congress-ruled states is not of
vaccines but of basic commitment towards healthcare.” “He should write letters to his party’s governments to stop their ‘vasooli’ (extortion) ventures and concentrate on administering the lakhs of vaccines they are sitting on,” he said.
India is not facing vaccine starvation but Gandhi is facing “attention starvation”, Prasad said.
“Why has Rahul Gandhi not yet taken vaccine? Is it an oversight or he doesn’t want it or has he already taken one in many of his undisclosed trips to foreign locations but doesn’t want to disclose?” he posed.
“After failing as a part-time politician, has Rahul Gandhi switched to full-time lobbying? First, he lobbied for fighter plane companies by trying to derail India’s acquisition programme. Now he is lobbying for pharma companies by asking for arbitrary approvals for foreign vaccines,” Prasad said.