Today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a virtual press conference covering the failures of the govt for COVID and what they need to do.
During his vibrant press conference today, Friday, he said, “Lockdown helps in fighting coronavirus. But lockdown, social distancing, wearing masks are temporary strategies to fight the Covid-19. Getting people fully vaccinated is the only way to eradicate coronavirus from the country.”
He reiterated urgently, “The government does not understand the nature of what they’re fighting. Understand the dangers of mutation of this virus. You’re creating a liability for the whole planet. Why? Because you are allowing 97% of the population to be attacked by the virus as only 3% are vaccinated,” He added, “Bring the country together. Shut the space for viral spread. Stop the lies. Vaccinate extensively.”
He had warned them over a year ago about the dangerous damage the virus would cause, saying, “I am sorry to say our people are going to go through unimaginable pain in the next 6 months,” but they ridiculed warnings, focused on tokenism, and declared premature victories.
A video was shared initially of the past year 2020 where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the people of India during his national address to clap hands and clang vessels assuring victory over the virus, and in the next instant, throngs of people were dancing on streets together, clapping and clagging pots and pans singing to the virus to go. It was noted that after those mass gatherings, there was an increase in cases, however, no one was aware of the frightening proportions it would lead to in time.
It was unfortunate that during all these events, when Rahul Gandhi said, “The Health Minister saying that the Indian Govt has the #coronavirus crisis under control, is like the Capt of the Titanic telling passengers not to panic as his ship was unsinkable.
Last year, the Health Minister retorted in answer, not heeding to any suggestions made by Rahul Gandhi and it appeared to be a matter of ego.
It’s really sad that Gandhi family chooses to demoralise our countrymen by likening a serious global crisis as #CoronaOutbreak to one of the deadliest peacetime marine disasters in history. @RahulGandhi obviously ‘knows’ better than @WHO which is saying there is no need to panic https://t.co/XVbVL46nTM
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) March 5, 2020
He kept highlighting that “It’s time the Govt made public an action plan backed by solid resources to tackle this crisis.” but unfortunately, it appeared the government had no concrete plan because the Prime Minister was an event manager, but he was not a strategist and for Corona, India needs a strategist and strategy.
During his press conference, he restated the importance of giving the vaccine to as many people as possible and as fast as possible and that lockdowns are just a temporary solution. He said, “The more space you give the virus, the more it will evolve.”
“Vaccination is necessary for the country as soon as possible. Otherwise, the virus will continue to change form and take a dangerous form and it will be out of control.”
He stressed, “The death rates being reported by the government are false. I guarantee this. The death rate is cent percent wrong. And exponentially wrong.” “Lies are not going to help anyone unless we face the truth, we will not be able to fight & defeat the enemy,” he said.
He said, “The virus will keep adapting if we don’t vaccinate soon. We will keep seeing wave after wave. Who is responsible for the loss of lakhs of Indian lives?”
He said, “Those who exported vaccine in the name of “Vaccine Diplomacy” have left 97% of India’s population vulnerable without vaccination, in spite of India being vaccine capital! Mismanagement and incompetence of PM Modi is what has led us there.”
He said, “Instead of being the biggest manufacturer of vaccines, Indian people facing huge vaccine crisis due to poor management of the Modi government.” meaning the vaccines are now over and India is actually the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, so India should have never been in this crisis.
In his sharpest attack on the Prime Minister for his handling the COVID crisis, Rahul Gandhi said, “The central government and PM Modi are directly responsible for so many deaths in India.” “PM is responsible for the second wave of virus, it is a result of his “theatrics”, lack of responsibility. ”
He grimly said, “At this rate of vaccination, people of India will be vaccinated by May 2024.
By that time, we will have the 3rd wave, 4th wave, 5th wave, and the virus will mutate many times. The GOI needs to understand the virus and should change its vaccination policy.” He also said, “India will be hit by multiple Covid waves unless we get our vaccine strategy right.”
He put the onus on the Central Government when during the press conference, journalists suggested that the Prime Minister blamed the state governments and Rahul Gandhi responded indignantly by asking if the state governments sent vaccines across the world. He said it was the Center’s responsibility to ensure the availability of vaccines for all and said the buck stops with the Prime Minister.
While Indian governments were ordering for vaccines, the Center had not placed in orders yet, but in the USA, they started placing orders last June for fresh vaccines.
Minister of the vaccine strategy key, but the BJP made fun of that. He stressed that the lockdown is a blunt weapon and once opened, a new mutant would start to evolve and reiterated that the Prime Minister should make a special COVID task force group giving them a such as for example War Group and they should meet up daily with plans and strategies to implement to fight the virus.
During a Q and A in his press conference, Mr. Gandhi had been asked about reports of Congress-ruled states misreporting Covid death figures and he answered, “I spoke to the Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, told them that lying will only harm them. The reality needs to be accepted. Actual death numbers might be disturbing but we must stick to telling the truth.”
Like a true statesman, Rahul Gandhi said, “The government needs to understand that the opposition is not its enemy, the disease is, the opposition is just warning the government. Had the government listened to us in February 2020, so many people wouldn’t have died.”
Soon after his press conference, the government hit back and declared that vaccinations would be completed before December this year! So, someone is listening and that is good news!