Opposition parties and leaders, on June 7, welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that the Centre would take over COVID-19 procurement from the states and provide free doses to all above 18 years of age starting from June 21.
However, they also alleged that the prime minister had “abandoned” his government's “discriminatory” immunisation policy, “fearing” a Supreme Court directive for universal free vaccination, and under Opposition pressure.
“Trying to defend his dubious discriminatory vaccine policy by passing the buck on to state governments. Now Modi abandons his policy, fearing a Supreme Court directive for a free and universal vaccination programme by the Centre,” tweeted Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Yechury also demanded that all paperwork behind the policy shift has to be shared.
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In an address to the nation on June 7, PM Modi announced that the central government will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to states for all above 18 years starting June 21.
“Better late than never, but never late is better, Modi ji,” the Congress party said in a tweet.
“One simple question- If vaccines are free for all, why should private hospitals charge for them?” senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.
Congress leader and former union minister Shashi Tharoor tweeted: “Glad that @PMOIndia has done the right thing at last, after exhausting the bad alternatives. If GoI had proactively placed vaccine orders a year ago & paid to expand India's capacities, the nation would have been spared the trauma of the last 6 months, AND we could've exported too.”
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet that she had written to PM Modi demanding free vaccination for all since February and that it “took him four months but after much pressure, he has finally listened to us and implemented what we have been asking all this while.”
“The well-being of the people of India should have been prioritised since the very start of this pandemic. Unfortunately, this delayed decision by the PM has already cost many lives. Hoping for a better managed #VaccinationDrive this time that focuses on people & not propaganda!” Banerjee said in another tweet.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the union government’s vaccine policy “reversal” seemed to be a result of the order by the top court.
“Reversal of vaccine policy seems to be the result of SC’s order. Although blame of a terrible vaccine policy has been put on states, it’s Modi who failed to ensure vaccine supply,” he said in a tweet.
The apex court had also recently questioned the Centre over its nationwide vaccination policy.
The court had called the policy of the central government for conducting free vaccination themselves for groups under the first two phases, and replacing it with paid vaccination by the state/Union Territory governments and private hospitals for the persons between 18-44 years as “arbitrary and irrational”.
The top court also observed that the ‘Liberalised Vaccination Policy’ may not be able to yield the desired results of spurring competitive prices and higher quantities of vaccines.
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