Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took up an opportunity to say 'I told you so', hitting out at the Centre over its recent step to fast track emergency approvals for foreign-produced COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in other countries. Tuesday's decision was announced by the Health Ministry and comes amid growing calls from political leaders and well known personalities for an expansion of India's inoculation drive.
The update came even as India approved a third vaccine for emergency usage in the country. Over the last few days, the country has been setting new records with it's mounting COVID-19 case tally, even as many states turn towards lockdown.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win," Gandhi quipped sharing a news article about the same. Over the last few months, the Congress leader had repeated questioned the government's vaccination plans. Ironically, his recent letter calling for the same had led to name calling and taunts from Union Ministers.
"Open up vaccination to everyone who needs it," Gandhi had demanded in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking fast-tracking of approval of other vaccines as per norms and guidelines. He had also called for the PM to provide vaccine suppliers with "necessary resources to increase manufacturing capacity and place an immediate moratorium on vaccine export".
The reaction had been swift and pointed. While Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad decreed him a failed "part-time politician", fellow politician Smriti Irani dubbed Gandhi an "absentee politician" and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had posed a series of sarcastic questions to the Congress MP.
