In midnight drama, the Opposition BJP clashed with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government over a stock of Remdesivir injections, a life-saver for critical Covid-19 patients.
The problem began hours after the Mumbai Police started questioning the Director of Daman-based pharmaceutical company Bruck Pharma Pvt Ltd, whom the saffron party was in touch with for supplies of Remdesivir vials in Maharashtra.
The man who was grilled for 45 minutes at the Vile Parle police station was later allowed to leave.
Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, his counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar, BJP MLA Parag Alavani and MLC Prasad Lad trooped into the Bandra Kurla Complex police station and confronted the officers.
The Daman and Diu-based Bruck Pharma is an exporter of Remdesivir.
As the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic cripples India, there is a massive demand-supply gap for Remdesivir and the government has banned its export to meet the demand.
Acting on information about storage and possible export of Remdesvir by air cargo, police called the director of Bruck Pharma and questioned him for nearly 45 minutes around midnight.
The Maharashtra unit of the BJP had taken the initiative to reach out to various pharma companies due to the shortage of Remdesivir.
Fadnavis, a senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister, said, “As we all are fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic in such difficult times, in an extremely shameful act, the MVA government suddenly detained officials of Bruck Pharma who was supposed to supply Remdesivir to Maharashtra.”
Fadnavis said that the company took all permissions from the Maharashtra government and the Daman administration, even Union Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked him to supply maximum Remdesivir to Maharashtra. “And if MVA is still busy doing such cheap politics, it is a matter of utter shame... We don’t want to politicise it, but all we can say is that this is not the rule of law and not in the interest of Maharashtra at all, especially in such emergency and challenging times of the pandemic…he was harassed as BJP had taken the initiative,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singe tried to explain the position of police and why the man was questioned.
Meanwhile, State Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said, “What has happened is not good…they (Fadnavis and Darekar) tried to prevent police from doing their duty. We would not tolerate such things in the future.”
The development comes hours after Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik of the NCP, pointed out that stocks of Remdesivir are being illegally stored and not being released.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said, “Absolutely astonishing to see both Leaders of Opposition putting pressure on Mumbai Police for a businessman. What is the fault of the police? They had intelligence that a large stock of 60000 viles of Remdesivir is hiding with exporters. After the export ban, the company must inform CDSCO and state FDA details of stock left with them. Mumbai police had called the Director for inquiry but he kept evading. After two days he came. But BJP leaders became so upset that they personally rushed for his support.”