×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Opposition-ruled states claimed no deaths due to oxygen, now doing politics: BJP

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra noted that the central government's reply was based on the figures provided by states and UTs
Last Updated 21 July 2021, 11:49 IST

BJP on Wednesday accused opposition Congress and AAP of engaging in double-speak on deaths due to shortage of oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19 as the Modi government came under fire for telling Parliament that no such deaths were reported by states.

In an all-out attack on the opposition, BJP said that AAP and Congress leaders claimed deaths due to a shortage of oxygen during the second wave, but did not report the same to the Centre.

“Ask your chief minister & health minister to give statistics of death due to oxygen shortage. Union Government only repeated what report states had sent,” BJP General Secretary B L Santhosh said, hitting back at Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s remarks accusing the Centre of lying about Covid-19 deaths due to oxygen shortage.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said governments of Maharashtra and Delhi had told the respective high courts that they had not found any evidence to suggest that Covid-19 patients had died due to a shortage of oxygen.

Patra accused Congress and AAP of spreading falsehoods about Covid deaths with the sole agenda of spreading confusion and anarchy in the country at a time it was fighting the pandemic.

He accused the opposition parties of indulging in "plain politics" over the issue by claiming deaths due to oxygen shortage in public statements, and telling courts that no such deaths occurred.

“Rahul Gandhi just acted as a Twitter troll and not as a leader during the pandemic,” Patra said.

He also questioned the commitment of the Congress and AAP in the fight against Covid-19, contending that the leaders of the two parties had skipped the meeting of Parliament leaders convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening to plan for the third wave of the pandemic.

The Modi government came under opposition attack on Tuesday after it told Parliament that no deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states and UTs during the second Covid-19 wave.

Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader K C Venugopal, who had put the question to the government, accused Minister of State for Health Bharti Pawar of “misleading” the House and threatened to move a breach of privilege motion against her.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 21 July 2021, 09:14 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT