Mamata: Second Covid wave Modi-made disaster

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, April 21

Addressing an election rally at Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today attacked the Prime Minister over the resurgence of Covid-19, terming it a “Modi-made disaster” and demanded that he quit if unable to provide adequate medical supplies to combat the disease.

“The Covid-19 pandemic had subsided in the country but has surged in a second wave owing to the monumental failure of the Central government and negligence and total incompetence on its part,” she said addressing public meetings at Chanchal in Malda and at Harirampur in Dakshin Dinajpur districts.

As the Election Commission did not accede to Trinamool Congress’ request to hold the last three of the eight-phase election in West Bengal on a single day, Banerjee said she was forced to combat the sharp rise in infections in the state as its chief minister as well campaign for Trinamool Congress, her party.

She also ruled out the possibility of a lockdown in the state amid spurting Covid-19 cases and said a universal vaccination drive for people aged 18 years and above would start soon.

She alleged that 65 per cent of the drugs manufactured in the country to tackle the pandemic have already been exported.

On Wednesday, Banerjee held a meeting with state government officials on how to contain the spread of the virus. The meeting was held through video-conferencing.

Later, she addressed a press conference at Malda to brief the mediapersons about various steps undertaken by her in view of the Covid situation.

Interacting with the media, Mamata also appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to allow hospitalised Covid patients to cast their votes through postal ballots.

“There are about 7,500 people admitted to various hospitals due to Covid. Some of them may be in hospital because their oxygen saturation point is low but they are in a position to vote. It is up to the EC to find a way to collect postal ballots from such people,” the Chief Minister said.

Banerjee added that she had requested the Centre to supply one crore doses of Covid vaccine to the state for immediate use. She had given instruction to officers to take step against hoarding of oxygen by unscrupulous traders, she said.