TDP National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu blamed the YCP government for Andhra Pradesh standing at the 28th place in the country regarding Covid vaccinations. He said the state government ‘caused’ due to a lack of prior planning or proper strategy.
Naidu said that while all other states were competing with each other to administer vaccines to all their people, the Andhra CM was competing with himself to file false cases and illegally arrest Opposition leaders.
Addressing a meeting of party senior leaders and mandal presidents, the TDP chief said, “Any government would have extensive powers and abundant resources to extend help to alleviate the suffering of the people in times of calamities. But, Jagan Mohan Reddy is not in a position to listen to the sane advice of the Opposition. The CM’s adamant mindset, absence of awareness and incapacity for planning are hanging like curses over the heads of AP people.”
The TDP chief deplored that instead of coming to the rescue of needy patients, the state government arrested TDP leaders and CPI National Secretary K. Narayana when they were going to visit Ruia Hospital. On the other hand, the ruling YCP leaders were permitted to go into the wards at the hospital, he pointed out.
Naidu also stressed the need for the ruling party to take along the Opposition leaders to efficiently fight the battle against the coronavirus. He condemned the Ruia tragedy, where 11 Covid patients died due to a lack of oxygen, and called upon the party cadres to hold online protests on Wednesday to express their solidarity with the families of the deceased patients.
“Reports were saying that nearly 26 or 29 patients would have died there. The TDP has formed a fact-finding committee. Till now, over 76 patients died all over the state due to lack of oxygen supply,” he said.
Decrying the oxygen shortage, Naidu also pointed out that Tamil Nadu has increased its capacity to produce oxygen from 400 metric tonnes to 1,200 metric tonnes and Kerala has achieved surplus status in oxygen production, but AP was depending on other states mainly because of the inefficiency of the government and complacency of the officials concerned.
The TDP chief also said that while other state governments were buying vaccines in thousands of doses, the Andhra Chief Minister was whiling away his time by writing letters to the Centre.
“Kerala and Gujarat were at the forefront of vaccinations. Israel was in the front row in administering vaccines in the world by covering 60 to 70 percent of the population. Vaccination was also in full swing in America. But Jagan Reddy neglected this important aspect and allocated just Rs. 45 crore when over Rs. 1,600 crore were required for Andhra Pradesh’s total needs,” he stated further.
Naidu said that the state government was not accepting the demand for holding an all-party meeting. He added that the TDP would do its duty by extending all possible help and services would be extended by appointing one doctor each for every mandal.