Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Rahul Gandhi for raising questions over India's move to supply Covid vaccine abroad.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit back at Rahul Gandhi after the Congress leader took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to observe 'Tika Utsav' from April 11 to 14 and questioned the government over the reported shortage of Covid vaccine in several states.
In his letter to PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi urged to “open up vaccination to everyone who needs it", and added that vaccine exports must be stopped immediately.
"Open up vaccination to everyone who needs it. While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than six crore doses of vaccines have been exported," he said.
Hitting back at the former Congress president, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said categorically rejected his allegations that India was facing a scarcity of vaccine.
"India is not facing vaccine starvation but Shri Gandhi is facing attention starvation. Why has Rahul Gandhi not yet taken vaccine?Is it an oversight or he doesnt want it or has he already taken one in many of his undisclosed trips to foreign locations but doesnt want to disclose?" Prasad said.
In a series of tweets, Prasad also slammed Congress-ruled states for their lack of commitment towards health care while particularly pointing out mismanagement in Maharashtra.
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"Rahul Gandhi must know that shortage in Congress ruled states is not of vaccines but of basic commitment towards health care. He should write letters to his party’s governments to stop their vasooli ventures & concentrate on administering the lakhs of vaccines they are sitting upon," Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
"Fighting a pandemic is not a one trick game. Apart from vaccination, there needs to be adequate focus on testing, tracing & treating. Rahul Gandhi’s problem is that he doesn’t understand all this and his ignorance is compounded by his arrogance," the Law & Justice and IT minister added.
Some states have been demanding more vaccines and the Congress is seeking the vaccine for all. The Centre, however, has accused states of doing politics on the issue of vaccines.
