Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, in a five-minute-long video message, shared on the official Congress Twitter handle called for a national plan to combat the rising waves in COVID cases in India after having a discussion with all political parties. She said, “The center and state governments “should wake up and fulfil their responsibilities,” She also said, “Migration of the labourers should be stopped. A minimum of ₹ 6,000 should be added to their accounts till the crisis is over.”
Free vaccines should be given to all the citizens, she said. “Testing should be increased across the country and medical oxygen and other resources should be arranged on a war footing. Free vaccination should be arranged for all citizens so that people can be saved. Mandatory vaccine licenses should be given to increase vaccine coverage. Black-marketing of life-saving medicines should be stopped,” Mrs Gandhi added.
Flagging the shortage of crucial resources, which has worsened the battle against the pandemic, she said: “Lakhs of people are getting affected amid the pandemic every day, lakhs have died so far. These are testing times and we have to support each other. Most states continue to grapple with a shortage of medical oxygen, hospital beds, and medicines.”
She said. “I bow down to all the doctors and health workers who are serving COVID patients while putting themselves at risk. We have to go beyond the differences. Our country has overcome many huge struggles in the past. Congress will support the center in this battle.”
Last month, Mrs. Gandhi had hit at the center. “Despite a year to prepare, we have, regrettably, been caught off guard again,” she said.
Recently, her son, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tested positive for COVID and had been in isolation, but very actively admonishing the central government for its apparent casual approach to the crisis where now the pandemic has got out of hand leading Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold several meetings last week to examine the COVID situation and on Sunday, he said the second wave has “shaken the country”.