Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya countered the criticism over the Centre’s handling of COVID-19 and said that politics over a pandemic should be avoided.
Replying to a short duration discussion on COVID-19 management in Rajya Sabha, the minister said that states and chief ministers take credit for any achievement on COVID situation while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is blamed for failures.
“Whenever anything good happens, states and Chief Minister take the credit for the achievement but if anything happens contrary to the people’s expectation then it is attributed to PM Modi and called his failure. We don’t have any problem. PM Modi and I have always lauded the states and CMs for their COVID incentives…. Politics should not be done on pandemic,” he said.
“Our government has always said that this crisis shouldn’t become a reason for politics. There shouldn’t be politics on this crisis…PM Modi has said that when 130 crore people of India take one step forward, the country can move forward by 130 crore steps,” he added.
Responding to criticism over PM Modi’s last year ‘thaali-taali’ appeal, Mandaviya said it was done to encourage corona warriors, adding that his own daughter had worked as an intern doctor in a COVID ward.
Last year, PM Modi has urged the citizens to clang utensils, clap and ring bells to show their gratitude towards the country’s corona-warriors for their efforts.
“They say why did we do thaali-taali. We did it to encourage Corona warriors. We did it for the policemen standing on the roads for our protection. We did it in honour of the healthcare staff — from the lowest to the highest level — who worked during Corona pandemic,” Mandaviya said.
“Before being a minister, I’m a father. My daughter worked as an intern doctor in COVID ward. She told me that she would work in that ward itself and she continued. At that time I realised the importance of ‘thaali-taali’, it gave us courage,” he added.
The health minister also urged everyone to make a collective decision to not let the third wave hit the country.
“When we speak of the third wave, the 130 crore people – the common people, all state governments – should make a collective decision that we won’t let a third wave hit our country. Our resolution and PM Modi’s guidance can save us from a third wave,” he said.
“When there is need to work together and implementation has to be done by the states, at that time we never said that this state failed or that state didn’t do this. I don’t want to do politics but many states have 10-15 lakh doses of vaccines with them, I have data,” he added.
Citing experience of previous waves, the health minister also said that it is not appropriate to say that COVID third wave will hit children more
