Sonia Gandhi gives 5 suggestions to control COVID; asks PM to follow ‘true Rajadharma’

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow “true Rajadharma” by facing the present COVID crisis “as Indian rather than as political opponent”.

Speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Saturday (April 17), Gandhi said she wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to take urgent steps to check further spread of the virus.

“Our chief ministers have spoken to the Prime Minister and written to the concerned minister from time to time seeking relief. Some of them were left with only a few days of vaccine, no oxygen or ventilators. But there has been thundering silence on the part of the Government. On the contrary some other states have received preferential treatment/relief,” Gandhi said during the CWC meeting, which was attended by Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders.

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The Congress president took on Union ministers for “attacking leaders of opposition who gave suggestions for improving the COVID situation. This convoluted ‘me versus you’ debate is childish and totally unnecessary,” she said, adding that Congress leaders must strive to ensure their suggestions are considered by the Government of India “in the spirit of true democratic traditions”.

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Congress’ suggestions to control COVID crisis

The Congress president said:

1. Reduce the vaccination age to 25 years and above.

2. All young persons with health disorders like asthma, angina, diabetes, kidney, liver diseases and other ailments should be innoculated.

3. Abolish Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all equipment, instruments, medicines and support required to prevent and treat COVID-19.

4. Give financial assistance to the poor in the form of monthly income support and transfer Rs 6,000 in the account of every such person hit by the lockdowns.

5. Provide safe transport facilities and rehabilitation for labourers who are returning to their native villages since the second wave started.

India recorded its highest-ever single-day surge in cases with over 2.34 lakh new patients and more than 1,300 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.