AAP, Union ministers spar over vaccination drive
“Hardeep ji: pls focus on providing enough vaccines for the youth, rather than just abusing Arvind Kejriwal all the time. Central government’s vaccination flip-flops have created a crisis situation all over the country,” deputy CM Manish Sisodia tweeted.
Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi for allegedly not participating actively in the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive, drawing sharp criticism from the AAP with Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia suggesting the central ministers to focus on providing sufficient vaccines instead of “just abusing” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal “all the time”.
The political war of words began with the housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri tweeting, “On a day India vaccinated more than 84 lakh people, Delhi administered only 76,259 out of more than 11 lakh doses available. Why? Instead of focusing on the health & welfare of people of Delhi, Kejriwal Ji is busy in Punjab searching for a Sikh CM face for his party.”
Sisodia responded to his tweet, alleging “flip-flops” by the central government on Covid-19 vaccination. “Hardeep ji: pls focus on providing enough vaccines for the youth, rather than just abusing Arvind Kejriwal all the time. Central government’s vaccination flip-flops have created a crisis situation all over the country,” he tweeted.
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Later, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan also joined in and accused Sisodia of lying. On Monday, the deputy chief minister in a press briefing claimed that no vaccine doses were provided to Delhi by the Centre in the current month for the 18-45 years category. Citing a Ramcharit Manas verse, Vardhan tweeted in Hindi: “Some people accept only lies, offer lies to others and feed and chew lies only. This Ramcharit Manas chaupai fits Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers.”
In his response, Sisodia said that at the current pace of distribution of doses to Delhi, the city would take 15-16 months to vaccinate its entire adult population. “Doctor sir, is the Central government going to give any fresh supply of vaccines to Delhi after June 21 or will it get only those many doses, which the Delhi government procured for the month of June? For the month of July also the Centre has allocated only 15 lakh vaccines for Delhi. You yourself think, at this pace it will take 15-16 months to vaccinate everyone,” he tweeted.
AAP MLA Atishi who presents daily vaccination bulletin of the Delhi government said the Centre refused to let the city administration use vaccines meant for 45+ category for 18+ group, and on Tuesday, it “slyly” clarified the same through press releases.
“Today, when the Delhi government has raised its voice saying that it has not received the free vaccine stock and that the Centre is running a fake vaccination campaign, they have slyly started issuing clarifications. Puri via a tweet and the Central government via a press release, are now telling us to use the 45+ stock for everyone. When the Delhi government was asking to do the same, the central government disapproved. It is our request to the central government to drop this abusive politics of press conferences, press releases, and Twitter. The country will not be safe from Covid-19 just by insulting Arvind Kejriwal. The country will be safe from Covid-19 only through vaccination,” she said.
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