India needs quick and complete vaccination, not BJP's brand of lies: Rahul Gandhi

The Gandhi scion alleged that the government was trying to save the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - a move that was facilitating the virus and costing people's lives.

NEW DELHI: Once again questioning the Centre’s vaccine policy and its failure to supply adequate vaccines to states and UTs, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the country needs “quick and complete vaccination” and not the BJP's "brand of lies and rhyming slogans." 

The Congress leader alleged that the ruling party was using “rhyming slogans" to cover up the vaccine shortage caused by the Narendra Modi government's inaction. The Gandhi scion alleged that the government is trying to save the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - a move that was facilitating the virus and costing people's lives.

"India needs quick and complete vaccination, not BJP's usual brand of lies and rhyming slogans to cover-up vaccine shortage caused by Modi Government's inaction," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.

"GOI's constant attempts to save PM's fake image are facilitating the virus and costing people's lives," he added.

India needs quick & complete vaccination- not BJP’s usual brand of lies & rhyming slogans to cover-up vaccine shortage caused by Modi Govt’s inaction.

GOI’s constant attempts to save PM’s fake image are facilitating the virus & costing people’s lives. pic.twitter.com/UUeRpDabSD — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 16, 2021

His remarks come as large parts of the country appear to be emerging from a devastating second wave of COVID-19. Gandhi also tagged a report that the government doubled the gap between the two doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine without the agreement of the scientific group that it said had recommended the increase. 

However, a top government panel today said that the gap between two Covishield doses extended on basis of scientific evidence. National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) Chair N K Arora said that there was no dissenting voice among the panel members regarding the same.

The government had on May 13 said that it has accepted the COVID-19 Working Group's recommendation and extended the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks.

"Based on the available real-life evidence, particularly from the UK, the COVID-19 Working Group agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine. No change in the interval of Covaxin vaccine doses was recommended," the Health Ministry had said in a statement.

"The recommendation of the COVID-19 Working Group was accepted by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC), headed by Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog, in its meeting on May 12, 2021," the ministry said.

It has accepted this recommendation of the COVID-19 Working Group of extension of the gap between the first and second doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks, the health ministry added.