14 May,2021 06:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Agencies
PM Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi. File pic/PTI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, saying that he is missing along with vaccines, oxygen and medicines during the Covid-19 pandemic and what remains is the Central Vista Project and the PM's photos.
He also said that the government of India has "abdicated" its duty towards citizens during the pandemic and people must come together for those in need.
"The prime minister is also missing, along with vaccines, oxygen and medicines. All that remain are the Central Vista Project, GST (goods and services tax) on medicines and the PM's photos here and there," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Family shifts a COVID patient to a hospital in Prayagraj, UP, on Thursday. Pic/PTI
Leaders of 12 opposition parties had written to Modi on Wednesday, seeking a free mass vaccination campaign, and suspension of the ongoing Central Vista project and diversion of the money to aid the fight against Covid-19.
Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also hit out at the government over dead bodies floating in the Ganga.
"What time has come in this New India that even dead bodies floating in rivers are not visible to the government. Shame...," he said in a tweet in Hindi, while citing a news report about bodies being buried in sand in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday demanded a judicial probe headed by a high court judge into bodies floating in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and said what is happening is inhuman and criminal.
"What is happening in UP is inhuman and criminal. The government is busy image building while people are suffering unimaginably.
"There must be an immediate judicial enquiry headed by a High Court Judge into these events," she wrote on Twitter.
The Unnao district administration has ordered a probe after some bodies were found buried on the Ganga riverbank in the Bighapur Patan tehsil area, officials said on Thursday.
With a single-day rise of 3,62,727 cases, India's Covid-19 tally climbed to 2,37,03,665 on Thursday, while the death toll due to the viral disease rose to 2,58,317 with 4,120 more people succumbing to it, according to the health ministry.
Also Read: Should we hang ourselves over non-availability of vaccines: Union minister
The dialer tune message of the Centre asking people to get vaccinated was criticised by the Delhi High Court which on Thursday said the "irritating" message was being played for "we don't know how long" asking people to get the jab when there was not enough vaccine.
"You are not vaccinating people, but you still say that vaccination lagavaiye (get vaccinated). Kaun lagayega vaccination (who will get vaccinated), when there is no vaccination. What is the point of the message," a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said.
The court also said that a lot of "publicity and propaganda" was there last year on washing of hands regularly and wearing of masks and now there should be similar audio-visual initiatives on use of oxygen, concentrators, medications, etc.
AAP leader Atishi Thursday said Delhi is left with just two-three days' stock of vaccines for those above 45, and key workers. For the 18-44 age group, the capital has eight days of Covishield doses available, she said. After Bharat Biotech said it cannot supply more doses of Covaxin to Delhi, the city government wrote to the Serum Institute of India (SII) asking it to "come to its rescue". To this, the SII said they are doing their best to meet countrywide vaccine requirements, official sources said.
Fourteen doctors working at community and primary health centres in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have tendered their resignation alleging misbehaviour and mental harassment by administration officers. The doctors, however, assured that they will not let their Covid-19-related work be affected till talks are going on with the district magistrate and the chief medical officer over the resignations. The fourteen doctors, who are in-charge of CHCs and PHCs here, submitted their resignation letters at the CMO office on Wednesday evening.
2,37,03,665
Total no. of coronavirus cases in India so far
2,58,317
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far
37,10,525
Total no. of active cases in India
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