Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the Modi government has failed to provide relief from the alarmingly surging Covid pandemic in the country with no vaccine or oxygen available in many parts of the country to meet the dire situation.
"No vaccine, no employment, the public is suffering from corona, and Modi sarkar has absolutely failed," he tweeted in Hindi and sought an immediate lockdown.
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday had said lockdown is the only option that was endorsed by Anand Sharma. "Endorse the call given by @RahulGandhi that a lockdown is the only option available, given the constant denial and false claims of the govt on the number of infections, deaths and shameful claims of no oxygen shortages when hundreds of Indians, including doctors, have died," Sharma had said.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday said, the only way to stop the apocalyptic march of the pandemic was an immediate complete lockdown with the protection of NYAY scheme for the vulnerable sections.
Apocalyptic Pandemic
After the dismal performance of the Congress in recent Assembly elections in five states/UT, party leader Kapil Sibal said on Tuesday that this is not the right time to discuss such issues when the nation is in the grip of a pandemic.
"Everyone is concerned about the electoral outcomes now. But the country is facing a health emergency, and the issue of the party can be discussed afterward as the priority should be given to containing the pandemic now," Sibal told IANS.
Sibal also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held the Union government responsible for the present health crisis in the country. "The Prime Minister was more interested in campaigning while people were dying in the hospitals without oxygen and beds," Sibal said.
Govt lying on oxygen: Chidambaram
Another Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has accused the government of lying on the oxygen shortage in the country.
Chidambaram said on Wednesday:
"Government is maintaining the lie that there is no shortage of oxygen. Everyday, there are true life stories of hundreds of people desperately trying to find oxygen cylinders for their near and dear ones... I have a story, my friends have many stories. Indian Youth Congress had a great true life story on May 1. An intolerant Minister S. Jaishankar was quick to resort to abuse, but records and Facebook posts called his bluff. Why do otherwise intelligent ministers become bhakts?"
The former minister was referring to the incident of New Zealand High Commission appealed Congress for oxygen supply. Foreign missions in India are equally facing severe challenges and difficulties when it comes to oxygen requirements and hospital beds for Covid affected diplomats, staff and their families.
Delhi quota
The Delhi government on Tuesday cornered the Central government over the allocation of medical oxygen to the national capital, saying it received only 433 metric tonne (MT) oxygen on Monday against its requirement of 976 MT – which comes to 44 per cent of the requisite amount to mitigate the crisis.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raghav Chadha said that 41 hospitals in the national capital sent SOS calls for oxygen on Monday through various mediums, including social media, phone calls and helplines.
Another party leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday blamed the Union government and said, "When Rahul Gandhi knew about the Tsunami (of Covid cases), how come the Prime Minister did not know about it with all the resources at his disposal?".
