<p>Congress on Sunday hit out at the Modi government for describing the vaccination drive as an “<em>utsav</em>” (festival) and likened it more to a “crusade” against the pandemic.</p>.<p>“By no stretch of imagination can it be a festival. The vaccination drive is a crusade,” senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a four-day ‘Tika Utsav’ – a mega vaccination drive – beginning Sunday.</p>.<p>He accused the Modi government of resorting to “rhetoric and hyperbole” after having “messed up” the management of the production and supply sides of the vaccines.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/dh-galleries/photos/in-pics-indias-covid-19-vaccination-drive-tika-utsav-day-1-973128" target="_blank"><strong>In Pics | India's Covid-19 vaccination drive: 'Tika Utsav' Day 1</strong></a></p>.<p>Chidambaram also demanded that the government provide funds to vaccine makers to step up production in India and ramp up supplies.</p>.<p>“Government must also authorise the use of more approved vaccines and allow their manufacture or import. We have a duopoly of two vaccines, but they are hardly sufficient to vaccinate a nation of 138 crore,” the former Finance Minister said.</p>.<p>He said the Congress was the first to demand universal vaccination and insisted that inoculation should be a walk-in programme with no requirement of pre-registration.</p>
<p>Congress on Sunday hit out at the Modi government for describing the vaccination drive as an “<em>utsav</em>” (festival) and likened it more to a “crusade” against the pandemic.</p>.<p>“By no stretch of imagination can it be a festival. The vaccination drive is a crusade,” senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a four-day ‘Tika Utsav’ – a mega vaccination drive – beginning Sunday.</p>.<p>He accused the Modi government of resorting to “rhetoric and hyperbole” after having “messed up” the management of the production and supply sides of the vaccines.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/dh-galleries/photos/in-pics-indias-covid-19-vaccination-drive-tika-utsav-day-1-973128" target="_blank"><strong>In Pics | India's Covid-19 vaccination drive: 'Tika Utsav' Day 1</strong></a></p>.<p>Chidambaram also demanded that the government provide funds to vaccine makers to step up production in India and ramp up supplies.</p>.<p>“Government must also authorise the use of more approved vaccines and allow their manufacture or import. We have a duopoly of two vaccines, but they are hardly sufficient to vaccinate a nation of 138 crore,” the former Finance Minister said.</p>.<p>He said the Congress was the first to demand universal vaccination and insisted that inoculation should be a walk-in programme with no requirement of pre-registration.</p>
