AAP questions centre's move to send vaccines to neighboring countries while 'supplies are plummeting at home'

NEW DELHI:  Hitting out at the BJP-led Central government over export of Covid vaccines, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have “different priorities”.  Party spokesperson Raghav Chadha questioned the central government’s move to send vaccines to neighboring foreign countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, while “supplies are plummeting at home”.  

AAP said that reports from states about issues in supply of vaccines are worrying. “I would like to ask who is important to you (central government)? Is it the health and well-being of your own people or inoculating the residents of Pakistan? You must answer this and clarify your stance,” said Chadha.

Chadha further stated that despite India witnessing a shortage of vaccine doses, the central government has exported as many as 645 lakh doses to 84 countries. “On one hand the BJP-led central government claims that Pakistan exports terrorism to India and on the other hand it is exporting as many as 60 million vaccine doses to Pakistan,” the AAP leader added.  

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference here, AAP spokesperson Atishi said the prime minister had asked to implement ‘Home Isolation, Aggressive Testing and Micro Containment Zone’ model of the Arvind Kejriwal government to tackle the coronavirus menace in the country. “The Union home minister had rejected the Delhi government’s move of home isolation last year, but now the prime minister is promoting home isolation across the country,” she said.

“Today, the PM is asking the chief ministers of the country to implement the Kejriwal model of fighting against COVID-19,” she added. Reacting to AAP’s claims, the BJP alleged that the ruling party in Delhi had ignored the fact that the city’s first coronavirus wave ended after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said AAP leaders specialise in the ‘art of self-glorification’ and Atishi’s press conference was one such effort in this direction. “She boasted of her government’s work, but cleverly ignored the fact that Delhi’s first coronavirus wave ended only after Shah’s intervention and controlling and strengthening measures to curb the virus,” he said.