BJP 'Misled The House' Stating No Deaths Due To Oxygen Shortage During Covid Second Wave: Congress

"The Minister misled the House. We will move a Privilege Motion against that Minister," said KC Venugopal of Congress while replying to a govt response that said, "no deaths due to lack of oxygen."

Image: Twitter/ @ANI

New Delhi: The Indian National Congress (INC) has hit back at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar in a written statement said, "no deaths due to lack of oxygen has been specifically reported by states/UTs."

Congress MP KC Venugopal was speaking at a press conference where he noted, "The Minister misled the House. We will move a Privilege Motion against that Minister". 

"This is the way in which the Govt of India is doing COVID control. This is a clear answer because the PM is giving a presentation today, I don't know if these types of answers will be given in that presentation. This is totally condemnable," KC Venugopal added. 

Govt has given a reply today that nobody in the country died due to a shortage of oxygen. In every state we saw how many patients died due to lack of oxygen. We know. The Minister misled the House. We will move a Privilege Motion against that Minister: KC Venugopal, Congress pic.twitter.com/ZmPeeoo8GJ

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2021

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar in a written reply to a question by Congress MP KC Venugopal on whether a large number of COVID-19 patients died on roads and hospitals due to acute shortage of oxygen in the second wave, said that the Government of India has supported the States for providing medical oxygen. 

Pointing out that health is a state subject, the minister said, “Detailed guidelines for reporting of deaths have been issued by the Union Health Ministry to all states and UTs.

“Accordingly, all states and UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis. However, no deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states and UTs."

It is no secret that the demand for oxygen had peaked during the second wave of Covid-19. It was also widely reported that there was a shortage of medical oxygen in almost all major cities of India.