Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 26

Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Manish Aggarwal, who had contested assembly elections from Amritsar North, and general secretary of Punjab State Trade Wing on Tuesday countered the statement of Medical Education and Research Minister Om Prakash Soni’s objection to vaccination camps being organised by opposition parties.

In a press conference today, Aggarwal said that Soni should rise above politics in pandemic. “During a meeting with district administration and health officials by OP Soni, he objected to opposition parties holding vaccination camps and instructed them to divert all vaccination directly to the hospitals instead of providing doses for the camps,” he said.

In a situation where vaccines are either not available in government hospitals or people have to wait two-three hours in long lines to get vaccinated, NGOs, political parties are voluntary coming out to help people. The same is true of the ventilators malfunctioning in government hospitals and the lack of oxygen. In such a situation, it is condemnable to stop voluntary work being done by NGO’s and political parties,” he said.

He also urged Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to make specific arrangements to provide vaccines for old age and disabled persons. “In such a situation, everyone should work together to deal with this by rising above politics,” said Aggarwal.

‘Don’t stop NGOs from pitching in’

Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Aggarwal said in a situation where vaccines are either not available in government hospitals or people have to wait two-three hours in long lines to get vaccinated, NGOs, political parties are voluntary coming out to help people. The same is true of the ventilators malfunctioning in government hospitals and the lack of oxygen. In such a situation, it is condemnable to stop voluntary work being done by NGOs and political parties.