Rahul Gandhi hits out at Centre over vaccine export, asks is it right to put Indians at risk?

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre over the export of COVID-19 vaccine to foreign nations, and asked if it is right to do so and put the lives of Indians in danger.

The Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said vaccine shortage is a very serious problem during Corona times and is not a celebration. The Gandhi scion also called upon the central government to help states without any bias and help provide them with more vaccines.

"Shortage of vaccine in view of the rise in Corona cases is a very serious problem and not a celebration," he said in a tweet in Hindi. "Is it right to export the vaccine and put Indians at risk? The central government should help all states without any bias. We all have to fight this pandemic together and defeat it," he added.

बढ़ते कोरोना संकट में वैक्सीन की कमी एक अतिगंभीर समस्या है, ‘उत्सव’ नहीं-
अपने देशवासियों को ख़तरे में डालकर वैक्सीन एक्सपोर्ट क्या सही है?

केंद्र सरकार सभी राज्यों को बिना पक्षपात के मदद करे।

हम सबको मिलकर इस महामारी को हराना होगा।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 9, 2021

Some states have been demanding more vaccines and the Congress is seeking the vaccine for all. The Centre, however, has accused some states of doing politics on the issue of vaccines.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said that 9.1 crore vaccine doses have been utilised, while 2.4 crore are in stock and 1.9 crore vaccines are in the pipeline, indicating there are sufficient doses available for all states.

He also dismissed as "farce" the "hue and cry" by certain states about partisanship by the Centre and called it an attempt to hide their own incompetence.