Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has shot off a hard hitting letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the Centre to vaccinate “everyone who need it” and put an immediate halt to export of COVID-19 vaccines.
Rahul Gandhi called for “an immediate moratorium on vaccine export and fast-track approval of other vaccines”.
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Rahul Gandhi in his strong worded letter to PM Modi also predicted “catastrophic effects” on economy if inoculations continued at current pace.
“Our vaccination programme has to move beyond an individual’s picture on the vaccine certificates, towards guaranteeing maximum vaccination,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in his letter to PM Modi.
This was an apparent jibe at PM Modi’s photos on certificates handed out to those who receive COVID jabs.
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Rahul Gandhi said that the vaccination process in India is moving at a “snail pace”.
“At our current vaccination rate, it will take years to inoculate 75 per cent of the population. This will have catastrophic effects and will gravely decelerate India’s economy,” Rahul Gandhi warned.
“There is no clear reason as to why the government permitted large scale exports of vaccines. While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than six crore doses of vaccine have been exported,” he said.
“The state governments are repeatedly highlighting vaccine shortages only to receive intemperate statements by the Union Health Minister targeting opposition-ruled states, undercutting cooperative federalism, which you too have stressed as essential.”
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The Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said vaccine shortage is a very serious problem during Corona times and is not a celebration.
“Shortage of vaccine in view of the rise in Corona cases is a very serious problem and not a celebration,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
“Is it right to export the vaccine and put Indians at risk? The central government should help all states without any bias. We all have to fight this pandemic together and defeat it,” he added.