Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi on Tuesday said Union Minister Hardeep Puri and other BJP leaders should concentrate on improving the vaccination policy instead of abusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“BJP’s leaders and Ministers have only one job and that is abusing Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi government. It is my request to Hardeep Puri, that instead of tweeting and holding press conferences, work on improving the country’s vaccination policy. Since the time, India’s vaccination policy has started, in every phase, it has been a failure,” Ms. Atishi said.
Replying to a tweet by Mr. Puri, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, said: “Hardeep ji, please focus on providing enough vaccines for the youth, rather than just abusing Arvind Kejriwal all the time. Central government’s vaccination flip-flops have created a crisis situation all over country.”
“Doctor sir! Is the Government of India going to provide any supply of vaccine to Delhi after June 21 or will the vaccines that the Delhi government bought, will that be only available in June? Only 15 lakh vaccines for Delhi even in the month of July? At this rate it will take 15-16 months [to vaccinate Delhi’s citiziens] [sic],” Mr. Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi, responding to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
Ms. Atishi said when the Delhi government raised the issue of the Capital not receiving vaccine stock and the Centre running a “fake” vaccination campaign, Mr. Puri via a tweet and the Centre through a press release told the Delhi government to use the 45+ stock for everyone.
‘U-turn by Centre’
“So, when the Delhi government was repeatedly asking to do the same, i.e., to let us use the 45+ vaccine for 18+, the Centre disapproved. And now, today, when their mistake is in front of everyone, the Centre quietly issued a press release saying that the vaccine meant for 45+ can be easily used for 18+ as well,” she said.
The AAP leader said that the Central government should stop doing politics in the name of vaccines and make them available instead of press conferences and advertisements.