The Congress leader was refering to the time when PM Modi got emotional while interacting with health workers in UP’s Varanasi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he released a white paper to help the government prepare for a third wave of Covid infections. Experts have earlier expressed fear that third wave may hit the country as early as six to eight weeks.
“In the second wave many died needless deaths… we couldn’t provide them with oxygen. Prime Minister’s tears cannot wipe the tears of families who lost family members… his tears cannot save them, oxygen can. But he didn’t take it seriously as his focus was on Bengal (elections),” Mr Gandhi said.
The Congress leader was refering to the time when PM Modi got emotional while interacting with health workers in UP’s Varanasi – his parliamentary constituency – last month.
The former Congress President has been critical of the government’s handling of the pandemic and its policies. Mr Gandhi said the paper was a “blueprint on how to react to the third wave… to provide the government with information and insight on what went wrong (handling the second wave)”.
“The purpose of this white paper is to help the nation prep for the third wave. It is pretty clear the third wave is coming. The virus is constantly mutating. The aim of the white paper is to show the road (ahead). We have discussed it with experts and developed four pillars,” he said.
Consultations with experts had yielded a four-pronged strategic approach, Mr Gandhi said.
“The central pillar is vaccination. It is very important we have aggressive and 100 per cent vaccination,” he said.
The second pillar is to ensure the government has adequate numbers of hospital beds and medical resources, including oxygen (and oxygen production capabilities), medicines and life-saving equipment like ventilators, Rahul Gandhi said in his white paper.
“The government must be prepared. (Part of) prepping for the third wave means to understand what went wrong and correct it…” Mr Gandhi stressed.
The Congress leader once again highlighted the need for direct cash transfers to the poorest sections of the population – those who have been worst affected by the pandemic and the lockdown.
“Covid is an economic and social disease too. We have given NYAY concept…if PM doesn’t like the name he can change it but the aim is to have money reach the poor people,” Mr Gandhi said.
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