Health Minister Eatala Rajender has accused the Central government of diverting a high-end diagnostic device, procured by Telangana to increase its COVID testing capacity, to West Bengal.
“The machine has the capacity of 4,500 tests per day but was taken to West Bengal straight from Chennai and when the issue was taken up with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and DG of ICMR Balram Bhargava, they defended it saying the situation in West Bengal is serious,” Mr. Rajender said at a press conference here.
“Yet, without protesting we enhanced our internal capabilities,” he said.
The Health Minister was visibly angry and said that people of Telangana were hurt at the remarks made by BJP national president J.P. Nadda, who alleged that the Telangana government’s response to COVID-19 was not satisfactory. Saying that Mr. Nadda’s remarks were purely political, he said that the BJP president should first explain the alarming situation in the BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, MP and UP.
He further charged that BJP was busy toppling governments in various states rather than focussing on containing the virus spread in reference to Madhya Pradesh. “Even Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the Central government for assistance and the BJP president being in Delhi should focus on helping the national capital,” he said.
Mr. Rajender also said that CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao was one of the few in the country who supported PM Narendra Modi’s decisions on COVID when most of them mocked at lighting lamps and clapping. “Our CM always called for not politicising the COVID issue and continues to maintain it.”
Calling the BJP’s attitude petty, he said instead of helping the Telangana government they were playing politics even with the pandemic but people of Telangana realise who works for them. He also took a dig at Mr. Modi saying several officials, including RBI governors, who worked in the NDA government, criticised its functioning.
Mr. Rajender rejected the allegations of corruption on the irrigation projects and asked Mr. Nadda whether projects taken up in Gujarat were also for commissions. He said people of Telangana rejected the BJP giving just one seat in Assembly and almost nothing in the local body elections. “They could win a few in the Parliament elections as we are a bit relaxed.”