Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday criticised the Central government for calling the vaccination drive against COVID-19 in India as the world’s largest inoculation drive.
In reality, it has become the world’s “longest and most mismanaged” vaccination drive, Mr. Sisodia said.
Publish ads
He said that BJP-governed States have taken out advertisements in newspapers about the “world’s largest vaccination drive”, and alleged that the Central government is “pressurising” Delhi government officials to also publish advertisements thanking the Central government’s inoculation drive.
“At present, Delhi needs 2.3 crore doses to vaccinate the entire Capital. However, instead, under the so-called free vaccination drive, the Central government will provide only 15 lakh doses to Delhi in July. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government has also put pressure on the Delhi government officials to advertise this BJP toolkit. It is absolutely shameful that the Centre is providing only 15 lakh vaccines for Delhi, but putting pressure on our officials to publish these advertisements. Our country needs vaccines, not advertisements,” Mr. Sisodia said in a video statement.
15 lakh doses in July
He appealed to the Central government to provide 2.3 crore doses of vaccines for Delhi. “Give us 2.3 crore doses in the next two months, we will inoculate everyone and then we will put up advertisements thanking you,” Mr. Sisodia said.
He said that if Delhi receives only 15 lakh doses of vaccines for next month, then it indicates that it will take approximately 15-16 more months to vaccinate all residents of the city.
“Whether the Central government-led vaccination drive is the world’s largest drive or not, it is definitely India’s longest vaccination drive, the most mismanaged, derailed and messed up drive. It has completely botched the whole vaccination drive in the nation,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr. Sisodia said that vaccination is the only way to defeat the COVID-19 crisis in India and many countries across the world had prioritised vaccinating their citizens. They have also taken pride in announcing that their citizens can roam about mask-free as most of them are vaccinated.
“Whether it was purchasing vaccines from other nations or investing funds in vaccine manufacturing, several nations proved that inoculating their citizens on a priority basis is significant in defeating the virus. These countries are examples of how if Union governments decide, they can vaccinate their citizens and emerge as a nation with zero COVID cases. All it takes is intention and action,” said the senior AAP leader..
