As India fights the raging Covid-19 pandemic, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday called for a nationwide strategy to combat the deadly virus after discussing with all political parties. She has also urged the Centre to formulate a national policy to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
In a video message, she has urged the Centre and the state governments to fulfil their duties and fight the second Covid-19 wave. She added that the governments must provide the Covid-19 vaccines for free to all citizens. “This is the time for central and state governments to wake up and fulfil their duties,” she said, adding that the Centre should deposit Rs 6,000 in the account of every poor family to help them tide over the current crisis.
“I urge the Centre to evolve a national policy to deal with the Covid-19 crisis in the country and bring about a political consensus over it,” Sonia Gandhi said, adding that she has sought compulsory licensing to ramp up vaccine production to speed up the country's vaccination drive.
She also said that there is a need to increase testing and urged the central government to ensure no black marketing of essential life-saving drugs. Sonia Gandhi said the Congress party will stand with the Centre in the fight against the pandemic and has appealed to all Indians to unite in these unprecedented times.
Sonia Gandhi’s message comes a day after Wayanad MP and Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the Centre, saying that over two lakh people have died in India during the second Covid-19 wave and there is zero accountability.
India created a grim global record with 4,01,993 new Covid-19 cases and 3,523 deaths in the last 24 hours. This comes on the day when the third phase of the vaccination drive starts.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has issued a warning to the central government to supply 490 metric tonne medical oxygen to Delhi today itself "by whatever means" to treat critical Covid-19 patients. The court said if the Centre does not comply then it may face contempt proceedings.
