Chandigarh, August 16
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab has taken stern notice of the failed Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Punjab and accused the state and the central government of gross negligence. In a joint statement issued from the party headquarters here on Monday, AAP MLA Meet Hayer and party’s Doctor Wing state president Dr Ravjot Singh , said the ruling Congress government of Punjab had miserably failed to provide vaccines to the general public, which had made the situation uncertain in the state. He said far from providing better health infrastructure, the Congress government had failed in providing vaccination facilities to the people.
Demanding the resignation of Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu with immediate effect, the AAP leaders said Sidhu was indifferent towards the general public and the health department; and was only concerned for occupying lands, corruption and harassing the people of the state. They said on one hand, the government was encouraging the people to get vaccinated by putting up big banners and through TV and radio; but on the other hand, the people of Punjab were getting harassed and struggling to get vaccinated.
“As per the available data, only 25, 08, 843 people, which is less than one-twelfth of the total population of Punjab, had been able to get the two doses needed for complete protection from Covid; while the number of people taking the first dose was only 85, 86, 411; which is even lesser than one third of the total population and exposes the failure of the Punjab government,” said the leaders.
The AAP leader said the Congress government had wasted crores of rupees from the state exchequer on advertisements and ‘Mission Fateh’ and had been so careless in the fight against Covid and vaccination campaign. “This is directly the incompetence of the state and central government which has left the people of Punjab in the lurch,” he added.
He said in many areas of Punjab, recommendations were being made for vaccination, which is further making it more difficult for the general public. Also, there had been reports of assault and fights over vaccines at various places, he added. He said long queues of the people at the different government hospitals and health centres for vaccination was further adding to the risk of Covid for them and the government needs to take it up seriously on priority.
Taking a dig at Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, he said the Congress government could not run away from their responsibility just by blaming the lack of vaccines on the centre. The AAP leader said that the ruling Congress had squashed all the important issues of Punjab in their infighting. “The Covid-19 vaccination campaign would not have flopped to such an extent, if the Congressmen would have made rounds for it; as they made to Delhi to grab or save the chair,” he said.
