NEW DELHI:
Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on Saturday held a meeting with the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states regarding the spike in
Covid-19
cases around the country.
Addressing a virtual meeting with the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states and ministers of the party in states, she said the priority should be to test, track and vaccinate.
"The priority is to test, track and vaccinate," wrote on Twitter, quoting Sonia.
Sonia also reviewed the efforts to fight Covid-19, including the availability of vaccines, access to medicines and ventilators, Congress spokesperson
Randeep Surjewala
said.
As per news agency PTI, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh and Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel were among those who participated in the meeting.
Slamming the Centre for its vaccine management, Sonia claimed, "The Modi government has mismanaged the situation. It has exported vaccines and allowed a shortage to be created in India."
She said all public gatherings and poll rallies should be cancelled as the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise and asked the chief ministers if the economic packages announced by the Centre had the desired impact.
"Mass gatherings for elections and religious events have accelerated Covid for which all of us are responsible to some extent. We need to accept this responsibility and keep the interest of the nation above our own," the Congress chief said at the meet.
Surjewala further said that Rahul Gandhi too expressed deep concern over the virus attacking the "poorest and disadvantaged the hardest."
Sonia's letter comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote to PM Modi, requesting him to “open up vaccination to everyone who needs it” and called for an immediate halt on vaccine exports.
In the letter addressed to the PM, Rahul had called for “an immediate moratorium on vaccine export and fast-track approval of other vaccines.”
Earlier on Friday, in an apparent dig at PM Modi's call to observe 'Tika Utsav' from April 11 to 14, Rahul said vaccine shortage in the country is a "serious issue and not a festival."
Several states including Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar are facing vaccine shortages.
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