Centre & Election Commission have blood of Covid patients on their hands: TMC MP Saugata Roy

Both the poll panel and the BJP-led government refused to heed the threat posed by the resurgence of the pandemic, TMC MP Saugata Roy said at a press conference here.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) and the Centre were “super spreaders” who had “the blood of Covid-19 patients on their hands”. Both the poll panel and the BJP-led government refused to heed the threat posed by the resurgence of the pandemic, TMC MP Saugata Roy said at a press conference here.

“At last we said that the last three phases can be clubbed but the EC refused to do so. Because of that, in every phase at least 1.45 crore people will be exposed and the number of Covid patients will increase further,” the MP told reporters.

He added, “The Central government and the Election Commission have the blood of Covid patients on their hands as they refused to consider the serious threat to people’s lives. The EC has also been censured by Madras High Court. On March 10, the number of active cases was 3,127 and on April 27, it increased to more than a lakh.”

On Monday, the High Court had come down heavily on the Commission for “not stopping political parties” from violating Covid protocols during their campaign rallies for Assembly polls in four states and a Union Territory over the last month, and said murder charges should probably be imposed on the panel for being “the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today”.

Roy accused the Modi government of misleading people about the vaccination programme and for allowing differential pricing of the same vaccine. “The Modi government has gone back on its promise of giving vaccines to anyone in the age bracket of 18 years and above. It is now saying states can vaccinate people of 45 years and above. What about the vaccination to those aged between 18 and 45 years?”

The MP claimed that Mamata Banerjee had written to Modi in February, urging him to build a concrete vaccination policy and ensure adequate distribution to states. “But the honourable PM neither acknowledged her concern nor gave any response as he was apparently busy with other things.”

Continuing the criticism of the inoculation drive, Roy said, “The Modi government’s hamhanded vaccination policy has led to such a situation. The Centre should have monitored the production of vaccines and distributed them rationally among the states beforehand. The onus is on the Centre.”

(With PTI inputs)

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