Priyanka takes Centre to task for failing to secure COVID vaccines

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday (May 12) taunted the NDA government for celebrating ‘Tika Utsav’ in April but not providing enough vaccines to protect people against the pandemic.

The Centre had observed Tika Utsav, a vaccination drive between April 11 and 14, with an aim to inoculate the maximum number of eligible people against coronavirus amid a sudden rise in cases.

“India is the largest vaccine-producing country. The BJP government marked Tika Utsav on April 12, but did not make arrangements for providing vaccines and in 30 days there was an 82 per cent decline in our vaccinations,” Gandhi alleged, sharing graphics comparing the number of vaccinations on April 12 and May 9.

Gandhi also shared a graph showing that India was behind countries like the US, the UK, Turkey and France in terms of vaccinating citizens.

“Modi ji went to vaccine factories, also got photographs clicked, but why did his government placed its first order for vaccine doses only in January 2021?” the Congress general secretary said.

“The United States and other countries placed orders with Indian vaccine companies long ago. Who will take responsibility for this?” she said.

Gandhi said it is impossible to stop the coronavirus unless the vaccination drive reaches every household.