Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the chief ministers of opposition-ruled states should be grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his able leadership during the pandemic as unlike them, he led the country from the front and did not pass the buck.
Attacking the Congress and other opposition parties and their chief ministers, Mr Fadnavis said first they raised questions on coronavirus vaccine and its efficacy and now seeking the jabs to inoculate the public.
"It was the Centre and Prime Minister Modi who from the very first day kept urging people to get vaccinated unlike the chief ministers of opposition states and their leaders who resort to cheap politics during this pandemic by raising doubts over vaccines. And now the same set of people are asking for more vaccines," he said.
Underlining that health is a state subject under the Constitution, the former Maharashtra chief minister said it is unfortunate that during the pandemic the chief ministers of opposition-ruled states shun their responsibility and passed the buck to the Centre.
"Rather than coming on forefront in handling the pandemic, chief ministers and leaders from opposition parties were busy in criticising Prime Minister.... But Prime Minister Modi without getting into any political slugfest diligently handled the crisis. Chief Ministers especially from opposition parties should be grateful for his able leadership during this crisis and helping them out," Mr Fadnavis said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and others have been attacking the Centre for mismanagement of the second wave of COVID-19.
