Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed Yogi government for its low testing rates and also sharply criticised PM Modi for holding poll rallies.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for failing to increase the number of tests to detect coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and not doing enough to boost medical infrastructure to deal with the increasing cases of the infection, news agency ANI reported.
“Their (UP government’s) own sero-survey showed that five crore people came in contact with Covid-19. It was recommended to ramp up testing. The government started 70% antigen testing, which means only 30% of those tests were RT-PCR,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.
“What is more important? People’s lives or your numbers or the image of your government? Were the antigen tests done to lower the numbers. There are reports that private labs are being told to stop the testing,” she further added.
Priyanka Gandhi’s reaction comes after Uttar Pradesh recorded more than 20,000 cases over the past few days. The state recorded 29,754 fresh cases on Tuesday pushing the state’s tally beyond nine lakh. Uttar Pradesh’s death toll crossed 10,000-mark after the state reported 162 deaths.
She also criticised the Prime Minister for holding rallies in poll-bound states. “They are busy campaigning even today. At rallies they are seen laughing from stages while people are reduced to tears seeking oxygen, beds, medicines and you are holding huge rallies and laughing,” the Congress general secretary said.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold rallies in Murshidabad, South Kolkata, Siuri and Malda on April 23. She also said that Modi needs to sit with people and discuss a solution to the prevailing crisis.
The Congress leader also criticised the Union health minister for his response to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s letter to Modi where he suggested strategies to deal with the current Covid-19 situation. The former Prime Minister, who is also recovering from Covid-19, in a letter to his successor had said that more people should be vaccinated against Covid-19 and suggested that absolute numbers should not be taken as a standard to evaluate the success of the vaccination programme.
“Everyone knows how dignified a person Manmohan Singh is. If he is suggesting measures at a time when our nation is facing pandemic, then suggestions should be taken up with the same dignity with which they were offered,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
India on recorded 295,041 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 2,023 deaths in the last 24 hours, both figures being the highest-ever since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest data released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Wednesday morning.
