Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a quote of Mahatma Gandhi to imply that the government's decision to fast-track emergency approval for foreign-produced anti-coronavirus vaccines had been prompted by his party's suggestions.
Rahul Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, urging the government to fast-track approval for vaccines. BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had then accused Gandhi of lobbying for pharma companies by asking for arbitrary approval for foreign vaccines.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, in a letter to the prime minister, had also requested him to allow emergency use of all the vaccine candidates having required clearances.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win," Rahul Gandhi cited Mahatma Gandhi's quote and tagged a media report on the central government saying it has fast-tracked emergency approval for foreign-produced jabs.
“First they ignore you
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 14, 2021
then they laugh at you
then they fight you,
then you win.”#vaccine pic.twitter.com/FvfmTjJ7bl
With an aim to expand the basket of COVID-19 vaccines and enhance the pace of inoculation in India, the central government on Tuesday said it has fast-tracked emergency approval for foreign-produced jabs that have been granted similar clearances in other countries.
The move is significant as it may make available several vaccines, including those made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, in India with certain conditions.
In another tweet, Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.
A key architect of India's constitution, Ambedkar is an icon for many Indians, especially Dalits, for his relentless work for social reforms and empowerment of the disadvantaged sections of society.
"India is now proving that it is indeed possible to regress in time," Gandhi tweeted.
"Today, we remember Babasaheb who asked the difficult questions that helped put our country on the path of progress," he said.
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU