Lashing out at the government for its Covid management, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday held Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "theatrics" responsible for the second coronavirus wave and warned of more waves to come at the current rate of vaccination. Gandhi was addressing a press conference.
Watch the presser here:
1. He noted that India is the vaccine capital of the world and it is possible to escalate the inoculation drive as only 3 per cent of the people have received their jabs. He also termed the PM an event manager and said it is time for him to be a leader and show that he can organise vaccines for everyone.
"The nautanki PM did, and not fulfilled his responsibility is the reason behind the second wave. If the vaccination keeps on going like this then the vaccination of the whole country will be complete by May 2024
Rahul Gandhi, Congress
2. The Wayanad MP asserted that vaccination were the only "permanent solution".
3. Gandhi also alleged that the Covid death rate in India is "a lie". The government, he said, is trying to suppress information and that is why it is lying about the deaths.
4. Furious Gandhi urged journalists to tell the truth to the people.
5. He also slammed External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar for doing 'vaccine diplomacy' and said that by not vaccinating the maximum number of people in the country, the government is giving space to the Coronavirus to mutate.
6. BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar hit out at Gandhi ands said the kind of language the Congress leader used and the way he tried to stoke "fears" has confirmed that the "toolkit" was produced by his party. He also cited recent remarks of the Health Ministry to assert that the inoculation exercise in India will be completed by December this year.
It has been confirmed, and there is no need for any evidence. It is clear that the toolkit was produced by you. The kind of language you used and the way you tried to stoke confusion and fear among people is part of that politics
Prakash Javadekar, Union Minster of Information and Broadcasting
7. Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister of Steel Dharmendra Pradhan too slammed Gandhi for his remarks and said that at a time when all the countries in the world are unitedly fighting the menace of COVID19, there has been no visible signs of sense of responsibility from opposition parties, majority of which are nothing but family enterprises indulged in securing the future of their princes.
