Congress Slams BJP’s COVID-19 Vaccine Claims, Highlights Opposition Role in Free Vaccination Drive

The Congress asserted on Friday that the “extent of the mismanagement” by the NDA government during the COVID-19 pandemic is unforgettable, claiming that the Centre was compelled to offer free vaccinations due to the opposition’s insistence and the Supreme Court’s directives.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the BJP is promoting free COVID-19 vaccinations as a ‘big achievement’.

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“The truth is the Modi Sarkar was dragged into doing so by the insistence of the Opposition and the intervention of the Supreme Court. Aap chronology samajhiye: On April 18, 2021, Dr. Manmohan Singh writes to the Prime Minister, urging him to clarify vaccine policy – which until then was chaotic and not systematized – and giving him well-thought out suggestions on how to maximise vaccinations,” stated Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on X.

He added that on April 19, 2021, the Union government announced the “Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy” which made the vaccination of citizens between 18 and 44 years the responsibility of the state governments – decidedly not a universal free immunization scheme” Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

On May 12, 2021, twelve opposition leaders sent a joint letter to the prime minister demanding a “free, universal mass vaccination campaign,” according to Jairam Ramesh. He further stated that on May 31, 2021, the Supreme Court declared the Modified Vaccination Strategy “arbitrary and irrational,” directing the Modi government to revise it by June 13, 2021.

“It was only then, on June 7, 2021, that PM (Narendra) Modi announced a universal vaccination programme,” stated Ramesh.

The Congress leader further said that no amount of “propaganda” will erase the pain of lakhs of families across India during the pandemic. “It is hard to forget the extent of the mismanagement that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic: the corpses that choked the Ganga, the acute shortages of oxygen, the indignities and chaos of the vaccinations. No amount of “propaganda” will erase the pain of lakhs of families across India.