Manmohan Singh’s advice to govt turns into Congress Vs BJP match

Congress on Monday demanded an apology from health minister Harsh Vardhan for alleging Congress leaders were responsible for the surge in Covid-19. The BJP reacted by attacking Congress for its demand.The Congress termed Harsh Vardhan’s remarks that ‘irresponsible remarks of Congress leaders resulted in a below national average vaccination coverage of senior citizens and front-line workers’ in Congress-ruled states as an ‘indecent and immature’ reply to former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s suggestions to ramp up vaccination. Congress also slammed railway minister Piyush Goyal’s suggestion to control demand for oxygen as ‘insensitive’. Central ministers must stop indulging in politics after the government failed to check the pandemic, Congress said.“Since Manmohan Singh Ji has given many positive suggestions, he (Vardhan) should have followed it. Instead, this failed minister has given a very indecent reply to the former prime minister. He should apologise for that,” said former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate added the health minister’s reply ‘exposed his immaturity and apathy’. Congress leaders also questioned the rationale of PM carrying on with election rallies in Bengal despite the worsening pandemic.

BJP hit back saying “rather than asking for Dr Harshvardhan’s apology, first Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the country.” BJP national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal told ET when contacted. “Their party has been in the government for the longest term and they couldn’t do enough to improve the health infrastructure. Now they are trying to create panic at the time of crisis.” Agrawal said Congress should also talk about the ‘dubious behavior’ of the Maharashtra government. Quoting Vardhan’s letter, BJP general secretary BL Santosh said: “After dead silence in his 10 years long tenure, former PM Manmohan Singh writes a letter to PM and here is health minister Harsh Vardhan’s reply to it. Read it once.” “Wisdom and virtues cannot just be preached but should also be followed in letter and spirit by those sermonising the same,” tweeted MoS G Kishan Reddy.