New Delhi: The Congress said Monday that the BJP-led Centre should make probe agencies NIA, CBI and the ED go after black-marketeers and hoarders of medicines used for coronavirus treatment. However, the Congress pointed out that the Centre is ‘using them to target political opponents’. If the probe agencies go against the medicine hoarders it will instil fear in their minds. This was said by Congress leader and ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
“Strict action should be taken against people hoarding and black marketing vaccines, injections and medicines. The government should bring in the NIA, CBI and the Enforcement Directorate against black-marketeers and hoarders of injections and vaccines,” said Chavan.
“You can use them to target your political opponents. So why not utilise them sensibly against black-marketeers and hoarders. They are today creating all these problems in India?” he said.
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Chavan was also critical of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ‘picketing’ a police station along with other BJP leaders. The incident happened when the local police had summoned a pharma company’s top executive over alleged stocking of remdesivir.
The Mumbai police Saturday night questioned Rajesh Dokania, director of Bruck Pharma. It is a Daman-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company that makes Remdesivir vials. The interrogation was done following information that thousands of vials of the remdesivir drug were to be flown out of the country.
On learning about it, Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar had rushed to the police station. Their appearance at the police station triggered a political slugfest between the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the opposition over the paucity of healthcare supplies.
“When a person caught by Gujarat police for black marketing of remdesivir is questioned by Mumbai police, Fadnavis gheraos the police station along with some BJP leaders. Do you want to help the public or the black-marketeers,” Chavan asked. “Let us not play politics and let us help the country and people,” he added.
Chavan also demanded that the Centre spells out a plan on vaccine supplies and be transparent about it.
“A clear plan about the vaccine supply should be rolled out. Export of vaccines should have been banned earlier. The government should ramp up production and roll out a programme for vaccines and remdesivir. It should make its policy transparent,” the Congress leader said.
Chavan asserted that Maharashtra is worst affected state by COVID-19. “Our state government is fighting it on a war footing and we are not playing any politics over it. We sincerely want to fight it on a war footing and expect cooperation from the Central government,” Chavan asserted. “But, the Centre is acting irresponsibly and have taken the issue politically,” he alleged.
