Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took up an opportunity to say ‘I told you so’, hitting out at the Centre over its recent step to fast track emergency approvals for foreign-produced COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in other countries. Tuesday’s decision was announced by the Health Ministry and comes amid growing calls from political leaders and well known personalities for an expansion of India’s inoculation drive.
The update came even as India approved a third vaccine for emergency usage in the country. Over the last few days, the country has been setting new records with it’s mounting COVID-19 case tally, even as many states turn towards lockdown.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win,” Gandhi quipped sharing a news article about the same. Over the last few months, the Congress leader had repeated questioned the government’s vaccination plans. Ironically, his recent letter calling for the same had led to name calling and taunts from Union Ministers.
“Open up vaccination to everyone who needs it,” Gandhi had demanded in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking fast-tracking of approval of other vaccines as per norms and guidelines. He had also called for the PM to provide vaccine suppliers with “necessary resources to increase manufacturing capacity and place an immediate moratorium on vaccine export”.
“First they ignore you
then they laugh at you
then they fight you,
then you win.”#vaccine pic.twitter.com/FvfmTjJ7bl— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 14, 2021
The reaction had been swift and pointed. While Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad decreed him a failed “part-time politician”, fellow politician Smriti Irani dubbed Gandhi an “absentee politician” and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had posed a series of sarcastic questions to the Congress MP.
After failing as a part-time politician, has Rahul Gandhi switched to full time lobbying? First he lobbied for fighter plane companies by trying to derail India’s acquisition programme. Now he is lobbying for pharma companies by asking for arbitrary approvals for foreign vaccines
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 9, 2021
Rahul Gandhi must know that shortage in Congress ruled states is not of vaccines but of basic commitment towards health care. He should write letters to his party’s governments to stop their vasooli ventures & concentrate on administering the lakhs of vaccines they r sitting upon
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 9, 2021
Dear Rahul Gandhi ji, Please ask students without fear & nervousness.
1. Why no one takes you seriously?
2. How not to peddle lies about Vaccine shortage?
3. Why congress has been reduced to few seats?
4. What can you do to stay relevant?— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) April 9, 2021
Source: Free Press Journal
