Congress leaders on Sunday lashed out at the Narendra Modi government over its handing of the second wave of COVID-19, with Manish Tewari asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) owes an apology to the nation.
Mr. Tewari posted a clip of JD(U) leader and Lok Sabha member Rajeev Ranjan Singh asking the Congress leader to apologise to the nation for creating a scare with regard to the pandemic.
The Congress leader, who was the lead speaker from his party during the debate on demand for grants for the Health Ministry, had warned the government of a fresh COVID-19 wave.
Also read: How can India contain the second wave?
“When I flagged that second wave of COVID-19 would overwhelm us during debate on Demands or Grants of @MoHFW_INDIA in Lok Sabha hear response of NDA’s lead speaker Rajiv Ranjan Singh. I guess the shoe is on the other foot. It is NDA/BJP THAT owes our nation an APOLOGY,” Mr. Tewari tweeted, tagging the official JD(U) handle.
Manish Tewari on Modi govt's handling of COVID-19
His tweet also came on a day when the letter of the Medical Superintendent of Bihar’s Nalanda Medical College Hospital, Bihar, became viral on social media.
The Bihar doctor, in his letter to the Principal Health Secretary of the State government, asked the government to relieve him as oxygen was in short supply and there was a threat of loss of lives.
Amid claims by the Modi government of enhanced medical facilities, the Congress alleged that the current situation showed that precious little was done by the government in the past one year.
Chidambaram’s tweet
“While ‘no vaccine’ boards hang on the door of most hospitals, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan claims that ‘there is no shortage in the supply of vaccines’. Believe the Minister, there is no shortage of vaccines, oxygen, Remdesivir, hospital beds, doctors and nurses. There is only a shortage of patients!” former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on Twitter.
P. Chidambaram's tweet on shortage of vaccines
“Thank you Prime Minister for sparing a little time for Covid amidst the urgent war to conquer WEST BENGAL and annexe it to the BJP’s empire,” he added.
Declare health emergency: Sibal
Former Law Minister Kapil Sibal tweeted to say that infections were rising faster than recoveries and the government should declare a health emergency.
“COVID-19 Infections faster than recoveries. Modiji: Declare a National Health Emergency. Election Commission: Declare a moratorium on election rallies. Courts: Protect people’s lives,” Mr. Sibal said.
