Stalin to Centre: Learn from past, give free vax to all

Referring to the steep rise in COVID-19 cases and death rate in the country, Stalin said, “The Centre and state governments failed to control the spread of coronavirus during the first wave. They did not correct their mistakes and learned their lessons from it. They have committed a greater mistake than the first wave. Centre and state governments did not take any preventive measures during the six months between the first and second wave. We are seeing the results of that now.”

Alleging that the Centre disregarded the Parliamentary Standing Committee warning of oxygen cylinder shortage as early as November 2020, Stalin said the country was exporting oxygen, Remdesivir and vaccine even while the second wave of COVID was sweeping through the country.

Remarking that the vaccine loot was the most worrying factor during the distressing time, the DMK chief recalled the observations of the Delhi High Court vis-à-vis oxygen shortage case and said, “How unfair it is to hike the price of vaccine even in such a precarious position? Is it not unjust to have different price for the Centre, states and private hospitals? Three different prices are fixed for a vaccine in a BJP regime which proposes one nation, one election, one ration card, one market, one religion, one food and one language.”

It would be a huge burden on states to bear the vaccine cost after the Centre usurped their taxing rates post-GST implementation, Stalin added.