Kharge criticises PM Modi over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic

Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and said he “never takes the blame and always finds a scapegoat”.

“Not only he failed, but he also made former health minister Harsh Vardhan take all the blame. The Prime Minister never accepts his faults, never takes the blame. He always finds a scapegoat, and in this case (Covid-19), it was the health minister,” Kharge said in Rajya Sabha during a debate on Covid management.

Vardhan was among the 12 ministers who were dropped from Modi’s council of ministers on July 7.

Kharge said Modi appealed to people to clang utensils and light up candles during the pandemic. “People trusted him and did all of it. He did not fulfil his promises but disappointed them. Modiji, people of this country believed in you, but in return all you gave them was a betrayal. Why did you betray them, Modiji? Why did you break their trust?”

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Kharge said he and other Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi wrote letters to Modi with suggestions to improve the Covid-19 situation in the country. He added Modi did not respond to any of the letters and suggestions. Kharge said people lost their loved ones and employment because of the government’s mismanagement of the crisis. He also blamed the government for inflation and nose-diving economy while asking it to take responsibility. “(Covid-19) lockdown was announced overnight, just like (the 2016) demonetisation. The government did not prepare for it. There were no trains for people to go back home. The livelihood of people was impacted. The government should be held accountable.”

Kharge said the government did not show any concern over the plight of migrants. “They are responsible for all the migrant lives that the country lost. It is the result of their short-sightedness.” Kharge accused the government of underreporting Covid deaths. “I pay tributes to Covid warriors including doctors and paramedics. I salute people who helped others (by arranging)...oxygen... I also want to salute plasma donors, who came out in support.”

The second wave of the pandemic overwhelmed the country’s medical infrastructure and triggered a shortage of oxygen, medicines and hospital beds.