23 October,2021 07:45 AM IST | New Delhi | Agencies
BJP workers at a cycle rally to celebrate 100-crore Covid-19 jabs mark, in Agartala, Tripura, on Friday. Pic/PTI
The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of misleading the country on vaccinations when only 21 per cent of the country's population was fully vaccinated. The party also demanded to know when the vaccination for children will start. It also asked the prime minister to bring out a white paper on how his government intends to vaccinate all adults by year-end, a promise made by him and his ministers earlier. "Please share a white paper on how we are going to receive 106 crore vaccines in the next 70 days to vaccinate our entire adult population," Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said.
Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh also alleged that the PM, in his address to the nation on Friday, did not talk about issues of inflation and terrorism confronting the country. Instead of offering condolences to the families of 4.53 lakh people who lost their lives due to COVID-19, the PM is celebrating, he said.
"The PM should talk about the issues confronting the nation, but instead he is celebrating âMahotsava'. He touched issues in a wrong manner and shared wrong data while trying to mislead the country," he said.
Vallabh said "the PM gave the data which is semi-baked, and half-truth is very dangerous."
"We would like to ask the PM that it would have been nice if he had shared when we are going to start vaccinations for our school-going and college-going students. It would have been good if the PM answered when his promise of the entire population would be fulfilled by December 31, 2021. "Please share a white paper on how we are going to receive 106 crore vaccines in the next 70 days to vaccinate our entire adult population."
Vallabh added that only two countries have over 50 crore population and the claim that India is the first one to achieve 100-crore vaccinations is "false", as China had given 216 crore doses in September.
CPI(Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also raised concern over issues plaguing the nation. "The prices of petrol and diesel are increasing every day, farmers' agitation is going on since a year, the Lakhimpur Kheri incident happened, unemployment is increasing, hunger is increasing, more than 10 million tonnes of food grains are lying in central godown... Why is the government not distributing it? All these important issues that are related to the everyday life of people."
The number of daily infections dropped to 15,786, and active cases also declined to 1,75,745, according to the Union health ministry's data updated on Friday morning. The death toll has climbed to 4,53,042 with 231 daily fatalities.
15,786
No. of new cases the govt reported on Friday morning
231
No. of new deaths the govt reported on Friday morning
As a decision is awaited on the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of Covaxin being manufactured in India, a top WHO official has said the process of thoroughly evaluating a vaccine for use and recommending it sometimes takes longer time but it has to be ensured that the right advice is given to the world "even if it takes another week or two". The World Health Organisation "is very clear that we want all countries to recognise vaccines that have been given an EUL by the WHO advisory process. But it's also very important that WHO, when it makes a recommendation like that, is making that globally," WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr Mike Ryan said. Ryan was responding to a question during a recent virtual Q&A on whether there will be a definitive answer on Covaxin EUL by October 26.
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