The Mumbai Police, on Saturday, detained Brucke Pharma owner Rajesh Dokaniya, saying a truckload of Remdesivir was caught.
Remdesivir, a crucial drug in the treatment of Covid-19 which is in short supply presently, has heated up the politics of state of Maharashtra making the state government and the BJP making wild accusations against each other.
The Mumbai Police, on Saturday, detained Brucke Pharma owner Rajesh Dokaniya, saying a truckload of Remdesivir was caught. The police alleged that Mr Dokaniya was trying to export 60,000 vials despite an export ban.
But after Mr Dokaniya was held, late in the evening, the BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar went to the police station and claimed that Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had asked him to supply the maximum Remdesivir to Maharashtra. Mr Fadnavis said that Mr Dokaniya took all permissions from Maharashtra and the Daman administration and accused the state’s ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi of playing “cheap politics”.
“Pravin Darekar had gone to Daman four days ago and requested Brucke Pharma to give production to Maharashtra. They said we need permission as we just have export licence,” Mr Fadnavis said.
“I personally requested Mansukh Mandaviya-ji and he got the permission under Dr Reddy’s to produce,” he added.
Today morning, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted: “If this isn’t backstabbing the people of Maharashtra for his cheap politics then what is? A leader of opposition is hoarding an emergency drug procured secretly & when seized fights with Mumbai Police. Shame Mr Fadnavis. Your midnight shenanigans were exposed once and now again.”
If this isn’t backstabbing the people of Maharashtra for his cheap politics then what is?
A leader of opposition is hoarding an emergency drug procured secretly&when seized fights with Mumbai Police.
Shame Mr Fadnavis.
Your midnight shenanigans were exposed once and now again. https://t.co/w8qynzA3DP— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) April 18, 2021
Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray, speaking to NDTV about this, said: “We are trying to restrict hoarding of Remdesivir. It is for all of us to step up beyond politics at this point.”
Saket Gokhale, an RTI activist, had asked how Mr Fadnavis or the BJP, as private players, could get the crucial drug when sale is allowed only to the government.
Mr Gokhale, in a series of tweets, asked how “in the midst of a severe shortage why was the BJP hoarding 4.75 crores worth of Remdesivir in their party office (just like in Gujarat)”.
“And most importantly – while @nawabmalikncp ji showed yesterday that Central govt had stopped supplies of Remdesivir to Maharashtra govt, then how was BJP’s Fadnavis allowed to procure it sneakily without informing the state govt? That too stock worth 4.75 crores?” another tweet read.
Last night, Vile Parle police station in Mumbai seized 4.75 crores worth of Remdesivir vials that were being secretly moved by a Gujarat company.
Suddenly, @Dev_Fadnavis shows up at the police station late night & says BJP ordered those vials from Daman & Gujarat.
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— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) April 18, 2021
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