NEW DELHI: Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that the Central government’s vaccination policy flip-flops had created a crisis situation all over the country and asked health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri to focus on providing enough vaccines for the youth rather than abusing CM Arvind Kejriwal all the time.
He was responding to the union ministers’ attack on the AAP government on vaccination turnout in Delhi on Monday when over 86 lakh individuals were jabbed across the country under a massive vaccination campaign.
In response to Dr Harsh Vardhan’s charges that AAP government’s statements regarding vaccination stock and requirement were false, Sisodia asked the health minister on Twitter whether the Centre was going to give any additional vaccine supply to Delhi post June 21 or will it get only the vaccines Delhi government bought.
Sisodia has stated that only 15 lakh vaccines that the Centre is going to give to Delhi for the month of July will slow down the process and it will then take 15-16 months for Delhi to inoculate all eligible citizens.
AAP MLA Atishi hit back at the Centre and BJP and said instead of politicising the issue and making caustic remarks against Kejriwal, BJP should focus on mass vaccination.
According to the vaccination bulletin, 76,062 people were vaccinated in the capital on Monday out of which the first dose was given to 58,490 and 17,572 got the second dose.
Delhi has so far vaccinated over 66 lakh individuals out of which nearly 16 lakh have received both the doses.
“BJP’s leaders and ministers have only one job and that is abusing Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi government.
It is my request to Hardeep Singh Puri, that instead of tweeting and holding press conferences, work on improving the country’s vaccination policy.
Since the time India’s vaccination policy has started, in every phase, it has been failure after failure after failure,” Atishi stated.
In the 45+ age group, Delhi has already vaccinated more than 50 per cent of the population.
“For 18-44, even after repeatedly asking for it, very minimal doses of vaccine were provided.
We kept on requesting the Centre to let us use the vaccines stipulated for the 45+ category for 18+ but it kept on saying no,” Atishi said, adding that “now the Centre via a press release is telling us to use the 45+ stock for everyone.”