New Delhi: Alleging the ruling dispensation is putting the lives of the people in danger by ignoring the threat of the Omicron variant, the Congress Party on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has failed India with its “mismanagement” of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged the ruling dispensation at the Centre is limited to event management and publicity.
“Modi ji failed the migrant workers during the first and second Corona wave, Modi ji failed the poor during the first and second wave when he failed to put a single paisa in the hands of the poor when the whole world was doing it, Modi ji failed the small and medium businesses when he virtually left them to fend for themselves,” he said.
Surjewala said “mismanagement” of the coronavirus pandemic led to death of nearly 40 lakh people in the country.
"The tepid response on Omicron virus bordering on the directionless drift is even more alarming now. The entire policy paralysis of the Modi government in dealing with coronavirus including Omicron is marred by failure of leadership, rudderless response and planless preparation,” he said.
Continuing his diatribe, the Congress leader alleged the only solution Prime Minister Modi offers is to “escape responsibility, have completely confused and repeated changes in vaccination policy”, be preoccupied with self-promotion by putting his picture on the vaccination certificate and hold public rallies.
Escalating his attack, the Congress leader said: “Why is it that the government is oblivious and ignorant, bordering on criminal negligence, to the threat of the Omicron virus. We know that it doubles between 1.5 and 3 days, it escapes existing antibodies, we know that it changes protein spikes, it is fastest communicable, it will lead to large scale massive hospitalisation.”
Launching a frontal attack on Prime Minister Modi over holding of public rallies in Uttar Pradesh, Surjewala said: “Modi ji did not prepare to deal with Omicron virus but banned gathering of 200 in weddings. However, his own rallies with lakhs of people are going on.”
“When the first wave of Covid came, PM put people's lives in danger by doing the 'Namaste Trump' event, in the second wave did the 'Jan Ashivaad Yatra' and did rallies in West Bengal without caring for people and now again trying to score political points, while in Uttar Pradesh gathering of 200 in weddings is not allowed, two lakhs are brought for PM's rallies using public money by buses,” he added, PTI reported.
Surjewala asked by when the government is intending to vaccinate the remaining 35 percent of the country’s adult population.
“According to the PIB data and affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court, around 36 crore of the eligible population is yet to receive the second dose of Covid dose while 11 crores to get both the doses. By when the government will inoculate this population?” Surjewala asked.
“The government had promised to vaccinate the adult population by December 31. However, it has not fulfilled the promise,” he added addressing a press conference in the national capital.
Surjewala also questioned why the government is administering vaccines to children between the age group of 15 and 18 when some countries across the globe have started inoculating children above three years of age, ANI reported.
He said the Congress is extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses, paramedics, health workers, frontline workers and Corona warriors, who put their lives at risk and ensured the vaccination of people across the country.