PM Modi should resign owning responsibility for COVID-19 surge: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modis resignation for mishandling of the COVID-19 second wave and alleged that the prime minister failed in planning to contain the rise in the number of infections.

Asserting that PM Modi did little to address thepossible crisis in the supply of medical oxygen and vaccinesin the five-six months when the virus had lost its stingbefore its resurgence this year, Banerjee accused Modi ofexporting vaccines to other countries to boost his image inthe international arena while there was a scarcity in his ownnation.

“For the rise in COVID-19 cases PM Modi has to resign.

He is the man responsible for the present situation. He didnot make any administrative planning for 2021. And look at thesituation in Gujarat.

“The BJP cannot tackle the COVID-19 spike even inGujarat, and has brought the entire country, including WestBengal, to such a pass,” the TMC supremo said.

Highlighting that the West Bengal government had askedfor 5.4 crore doses of vaccine from the prime minister forvaccinating every citizen of the state free of cost, the chiefminister said, we are yet to get any response from him.

West Bengal would have borne the entire cost of theCOVID-19 vaccines, the chief minister had said.

“I will send a strong letter to the PM today on thisissue. There is shortage of oxygen and anti-viral drugRemdesivir in the entire country. Who is responsible for this?Had they given us the consent, we would have been able tovaccinate every resident of the state,” she said.

“The crisis of life saving materials has also beenflagged by the Maharashtra government.But without attendingthis issue you (Modi) are attending election rallies inBengal,” she said.

Accusing Modi of exporting vaccines to 80 countries,she said “we have no problem if you help others in the world,but first give it to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, andother states of the country. You failed to do so and was onlyconcerned about your image-building exercise in the globalcommunity.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)