Let's give govt credit: Tharoor on feat of administering 100 cr Covid-19 vaccines

However, Tharoor acknowledged that there was 'severe mismanagement' of the Covid-19 second wave

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday gave credit to the Narendra Modi government for crossing the one billion mark in Covid-19 vaccination on a day his party found fault with the dispensation over handling of the pandemic with a spokesperson chiding him that it is an "insult" to families who suffered due to the pandemic mismanagement.

Tagging a news report about the country crossing 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination, Tharoor said it was a "matter of pride for all Indians" and "let's give the government credit".

However, he acknowledged that there was "severe mismanagement" of the Covid-19 second wave and "botching" the vaccination orders that could have prevented it but the "government has now partly redeemed itself". He added, "it remains accountable for its earlier failures."

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera responded to Tharoor, who had signed the letter by 23 Congress leaders seeking "full-time leadership" in the party last year, saying that giving credit to government was an "insult to millions of families who suffered and are still suffering from the after effects and side effects of widespread Covid mismanagement."

Also Read | Historic milestone! India hits 100-crore vaccination mark

"Before seeking credit, the Prime Minister must apologise to those families. Credit belongs to scientists and the medical fraternity," he said.

Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi did not mention Tharoor but tweeted that it was "disappointing" to see the political leadership of India "pretend as if the second wave never happened".

"The pain, struggle and trauma of millions of Indian citizens has been completely glossed over in today’s celebrations. There should have been an acknowledgement of the loss," he said.

Addressing a press conference, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala sought to tear into the Modi government, claiming that it failed in tackling the pandemic and questioned whether it would be able to vaccinate all people by this year-end as announced earlier.

Surjewala said only around 42 crore adults have been vaccinated once while 29 crore adults have got two doses of Covid-19 vaccines. This leaves around 32 crore adults, who have never been vaccinated. He said the government would need 106 crore vaccinations in the next 70 days to achieve the target of vaccinating all adults in the country.

He also said that it was due to the Modi government's "inability, incompetence and sheer ignorance" that the Covaxin, a Covid-19 vaccine, could not get the clearance from European countries and from the World Health Organisation. He said the government failed to provide adequate information and persuade them in this regard.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "a billion vaccinations is a landmark. But celebrations? The Modi government has abandoned its own target of fully vaccinating all adults by year end. Only 21% are fully vaccinated. Unless this reaches 2/3rd of India dangers loom large. Accelerate vaccinations."

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