As the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged people to provide a helping hand to the needy in these distressing times.
He urged people to join the 'SpeakUpToSaveLives' campaign to strengthen the fight against coronavirus. He also shared a minute-long video speaking about a shortage of oxygen, ventilators, ICU beds and vaccines and people scrambling to get them.
Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said: "Our country needs a helping hand in these distressing times. Let’s all do our bit to save lives. Join the campaign #SpeakUpToSaveLives and strengthen our fight against Corona."
Congress has been accusing the government of mishandling the crisis. The Congress has set up a control room at the All India Congress Committee headquarters and Pradesh Congress Committee offices to help people. The party has been arranging oxygen, beds and essential medicines for those in need while it has also called for free vaccination for all in the country.
Hitting out at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the government's "repeated chest-thumping" at receiving foreign aid to deal with the COVID-19 crisis in the country is pathetic and had it done its job, it would not have come to this.
"GOI's repeated chest-thumping at receiving foreign aid is pathetic. Had GOI done its job, it wouldn't have come to this," Rahul Gandhi had said in a tweet.
As India reels under a calamitous second wave of the coronavirus infection, it has received large amounts of medical supplies from a significant number of countries, including the US, Russia, France, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Singapore, Sweden and Kuwait.
In a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi said, "A message for App-dependent Modi government: Unfortunately coronavirus is also affecting those who do not have internet facility -- that is more than half of the country's population!"
Apps like "Ayogya Setu and NoWin" will not be the saviours, but jabs of vaccine needs to be given, the former Congress chief said in an apparent reference to the government's Aarogya Setu and CoWin mobile applications aimed at helping in combating COVID-19 and in the vaccination drive.
