Open COVID Vaccination For Everyone, Stop Exports: Rahul Gandhi To PM

Amid COVID resurge in the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while highlighting the concerns of the pandemic, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to open up vaccination program to everyone needs it.

Gandhi said the inoculation program should move beyond and "individual's picture on the vaccine certificate" and towards "guaranteeing maximum vaccination". He also said his party will support a "well-planned, universalised and speedy vaccination drive".

Reiterating the same, Gandhi said vaccine export should be put on halt considering the resurge in COVID cases in the country, adding that central allocation for vaccine procurement should be doubled.

"Double central allocation for vaccine procurement from the existing Rs 35.000 crore. Give State governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution. Provide direct income support to the vulnerable sections in the disastrous second wave," Gandhi said in his letter.

"While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than 6 crore doses of vaccines have been exported. The state governments are repeatedly highlighting vaccine shortages only to receive intemperate statements by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare targeting Opposition ruled states, undercutting cooperative federalism which you too have stressed as essential. Was the export of vaccines also an "oversight", like many other decisions of this government, or an effort to garner publicity at the cost of our own citizens?" he asked.

Further, Gandhi said that India has achieved abundant experience in designing and executing some of the world's biggest vaccination programs. "Yet in the present case, we have managed to fully vaccinate less than 1 per cent of the population in 3 months".