Covid Crisis: Maharashtra Govt, BJP Now Trade Barbs Over Remdesivir Hoarding
The latest political confrontation took place after Brucke Pharma owner Rajesh Dokaniya was detained by the Mumbai Police on Saturday. A truckload of Remdesivir was caught, police said and added that Dokaniya was trying to export 60,000 vials despite an export ban.
Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray- led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, which is the worst-affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, have now locked horns over hoarding of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir presently in short supply.
The latest political confrontation took place after Brucke Pharma owner Rajesh Dokaniya was detained by the Mumbai Police on Saturday. A truckload of Remdesivir was caught, police said and added that Dokaniya was trying to export 60,000 vials despite an export ban.
Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Pravin Darekar, however, went to the police station later last evening and stated that Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya had asked the Brucke Pharma owner to supply maximum Remdesivir to the state.
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Fadnavis later took to Twitter to vent his ire at the Maharashtra Government.
“As we all are fighting against #COVID19 pandemic in such a difficult times, in an extremely shameful act, MVA Government suddenly detained officials of Bruck Pharma who was supposed to supply #Remdesivir to Maharashtra. https://youtu.be/z0zPALv1ZtU,” he posted on the micro-blogging platform.
Questioning the offence of the Bruck Pharma owner, the BJP leader said “this is beyond imagination”.
“OSD of 1 Minister calls official of Bruck Pharma in afternoon,asks how can he provide #Remdesivir on the appeal of opposition parties & in evening,suddenly 10policemen picked him. This is beyond imagination. We visited Police station & ZoneDCP office to ask what was his offence?” he tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">OSD of 1 Minister calls official of Bruck Pharma in afternoon,asks how can he provide <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Remdesivir?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#Remdesivir</a> on the appeal of opposition parties & in evening,suddenly 10policemen picked him.<br>This is beyond imagination.<br>We visited Police station & ZoneDCP office to ask what was his offence❓</p>— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dev_Fadnavis/status/1383519687607078922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fadnavis said that Dokaniya took all permissions from Maharashtra and the Daman administration and alleged Uddhav Thackeray-led government was playing “cheap politics”.
“He took all permissions from Maharashtra & Daman administration,even Union Minister himself asked him to supply maximum Remdesivir to Maharashtra, And if still MVA is busy doing such cheap politics, it is a matter of utter shame!” he tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He took all permissions from Maharashtra & Daman administration,even Union Minister himself asked him to supply maximum Remdesivir to Maharashtra,<br>And if still MVA is busy doing such cheap politics, it is a matter of utter shame! <a href="https://t.co/O4Fl7rhwJW" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/O4Fl7rhwJW</a></p>— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dev_Fadnavis/status/1383519697547653123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The former chief minister further said “this is not the rule of law” and “not in the interest of Maharashtra at all, especially in such emergency and challenging times”.
“We don’t want to politicise it, but all we can say that this is not the rule of law & not in the interest of Maharashtra at all , especially in such emergency and challenging times of pandemic !” he said in a series of tweets.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We don’t want to politicise it, but all we can say that this is not the rule of law & not in the interest of Maharashtra at all , especially in such emergency and challenging times of pandemic !</p>— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dev_Fadnavis/status/1383519700538118147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi lashed out at Fadnavis earlier in the day alleging a “leader of opposition is hoarding an emergency drug procured secretly” and “when seized fights with Mumbai Police”.
“If this isn't backstabbing the people of Maharashtra for his cheap politics then what is? A leader of opposition is hoarding an emergency drug procured secretly & when seized fights with Mumbai Police. Shame Mr Fadnavis. Your midnight shenanigans were exposed once and now again,” she wrote on Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If this isn’t backstabbing the people of Maharashtra for his cheap politics then what is? <br>A leader of opposition is hoarding an emergency drug procured secretly&when seized fights with Mumbai Police. <br>Shame Mr Fadnavis. <br>Your midnight shenanigans were exposed once and now again. <a href="https://t.co/w8qynzA3DP" rel='nofollow'>https://t.co/w8qynzA3DP</a></p>— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankac19/status/1383643312381251586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Continuing her outburst, Chaturvedi further wrote: “How is it that Union Minister intervenes to allow an individual of a political party to procure Remdesevir but when state government raises the shortage issue is not helped?How can Union Minister flout norms in times of pandemic and play such games due to bias against the state?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How is it that Union Minister intervenes to allow an individual of a political party to procure Remdesevir but when state government raises the shortage issue is not helped?How can Union Minister flout norms in times of pandemic and play such games due to bias against the state? <a href="https://t.co/U5uLyhpuvQ" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/U5uLyhpuvQ</a></p>— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankac19/status/1383655619605852167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik had on Saturday alleged “step motherly treatment” on part of the ruling dispensation at the Centre to the state.
“Here is the another proof of step motherly treatment given by central government to #Maharashtra. This is the approval letter to one of the export companies to supply stock of #Remdesivir to the state of Gujarat Only. Can this double standards be explained? @ANI @PTI_News,” he tweeted while sharing the approval letter to one of the export companies to supply Remdesivir stock to only Gujarat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is the another proof of step motherly treatment given by central government to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maharashtra?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#Maharashtra</a>.<br>This is the approval letter to one of the export companies to supply stock of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Remdesivir?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#Remdesivir</a> to the state of Gujarat Only.<br>Can this double standards be explained ?<a href="https://twitter.com/ANI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@ANI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@PTI_News</a> <a href="https://t.co/p2It2JHkMy" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/p2It2JHkMy</a></p>— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) <a href="https://twitter.com/nawabmalikncp/status/1383375889447088134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Asserting it to be a dangerous precedent, Malik said the Maharashtra Government under these circumstances “will have no choice but to seize the stock of Remdesivir from these exporters and supply it to the needy”.
“This is a dangerous precedent and under these circumstances, Maharashtra Government will have no choice but to seize the stock of Remdesivir from these exporters and supply it to the needy. (2/2) @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @ANI @PTI_News,” he wrote tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is a dangerous precedent and under these circumstances, Maharashtra Government will have no choice but to seize the stock of Remdesivir from these exporters and supply it to the needy. (2/2)<a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/drharshvardhan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@drharshvardhan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@ANI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@PTI_News</a></p>— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) <a href="https://twitter.com/nawabmalikncp/status/1383325391327170560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>April 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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