Priyanka Chaturvedi previously asked the Center to open Covid vaccinations for all people over 18.
New Delhi:
The Centre’s attempts to “score political brownie points” in response to its letter of concern over the Covid-19 situation in the country have left Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi “saddened” and “disgusted.” In a video post referring to the Union Health Ministry’s “disturbing” response to her suggestions made with “good spirit and good intention”, she asked what was wrong with her recommendation to open vaccinations for all adult Indians instead of sticking to 45 years. limit.
“It saddened me a little, disturbed and disgusted me at the same time, that a letter which was written with the right spirit and with the intention … is hoping for a scientific response … because it is the Minister of Health of the country and not the spokesperson for a political party, ”Ms. Chaturvedi said in her message. “But what he responded with was not only political, but also looking for brownie points by attacking certain states.”
My response to the political statement from https://t.co/7izg7PU0hX Min of India on the real issues raised by me a) providing more vaccines to Maharashtra through an effective vaccination campaign b) universalizing the vaccine to include all world above 18 years old. pic.twitter.com/m5gv4U6yBP
– Priyanka Chaturvedi (@ priyankac19) April 7, 2021
She was referring to the allegation by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan made yesterday that the “nonchalant attitude” of the government of Maharashtra had stymied the nation’s efforts to fight the virus. In response to his letter, in which she said the state was facing a severe vaccine shortage, he called the claims “deplorable attempts by some state governments to distract from their failures and create panic. among the population ”.
Ms Chaturvedi’s letter, it was reported yesterday, urged Mr Vardhan to open up the Covid-19 vaccination to all people over 18, a suggestion made by several other groups of people.
“With the greater number of vaccines administered, we need the Union government to release more vaccines in Maharashtra ..” she wrote, calling it “a basic right of every Indian”.
Mr Vardhan responded by saying that prioritization was the only option as long as supply remained limited.
In her video message posted last night, she asked, “The need of the hour is to reach as many people as possible. So was it wrong to ask that a young population … be protected?”
India reported 1,26,789 new cases, as well as 685 deaths, in the past 24 hours, the highest on record so far. Of these, nearly 60,000 infections and 322 deaths have been attributed to Maharashtra.
The spike is part of a second wave that is spreading rapidly even as several states run out of vaccines.
Many of them have requested help from the Center to replenish stocks. Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo, for example, also objected to Mr Vardhan’s unfavorable remarks about his condition, as well as Maharashtra and a few others, about the situation at Covid-19.