Get vaccines, make them free for all: 12 parties, 4 Oppn CMs write to PM Modi

This also comes when the BJP is pulling out all the stops to counter criticism of the Prime Minister and the Centre’s handling of the crisis, attributing it to vested interests with an “agenda”.

Many states have suspended the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group due to a shortage of doses. Incidentally, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been demanding steps to augment vaccine production, was not a signatory to the letter. Also missing was BSP chief Mayawati.

The signatories include Congress president Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

The other leaders who signed the letter are NCP chief Sharad Pawar, JKPA’s Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was not a signatory as the Left was represented by CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart D Raja.

The Opposition-ruled states had been questioning the differential pricing of vaccines announced by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech as also the Centre’s decision to let states procure vaccines for inoculating those in the 18-44 age group from the open market.

Arguing that the pandemic has assumed unprecedented dimensions of a human catastrophe, the Opposition leaders said: “We have repeatedly in the past drawn your attention, independently and jointly, to the various measures that are absolutely imperative for the Central government to undertake and implement. Unfortunately, your government has either ignored or refused all these suggestions.”

“This only compounded the situation to reach such an apocalyptic human tragedy,” they said.

“Without going into all the acts of commission and omission by the Central government that have brought the country to such a tragic pass,” they said, the Centre must now “procure vaccines centrally from all available sources — global and domestic” and “immediately begin a free, universal mass vaccination campaign across the country.”

The leaders asked the Prime Minister to invoke compulsory licensing to expand domestic vaccine production and spend budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for the vaccination drive.

Many Opposition CMs had been demanding compulsory licensing to augment vaccine production.

The leaders also urged the Centre to stop construction of the Central Vista project and, instead, use the allocated money for procuring oxygen and vaccines.

Their other suggestions were: Release all money held in the unaccounted private trust fund, PMCares to buy more vaccines, oxygen and medical equipment required; and give all jobless at least Rs 6000 per month (and) free distribution of foodgrains to the needy.

The leaders demanded repeal of the farm laws to “protect lakhs of our annadatas becoming victims of the pandemic so that they can continue to produce food to feed the Indian people”.

“Though it has not been the practice of your office or government, we would appreciate a response to our suggestions in the interests of India and our people,” the leaders wrote.

This is the second letter by these leaders to the Prime Minister this month.

On May 2, hours after the Assembly election results, they wrote asking the Central government to launch a free mass vaccination drive across the country and ensure oxygen supplies to all hospitals and health centres.

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