Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken said PM Modi has turned a strong country helpless. (File)
The Congress today said that India has been reduced from being a leader in vaccine production in the world to a "vaccine beggar" due to the failures of the government.
Senior spokesperson of the Congress Ajay Maken said with over 2.93 lakh COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour span, the government is testing the patience of people instead of coronavirus positive patients.
Hitting out at the BJP for accusing Congress of doing politics, he claimed the ruling party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were indulging in politics instead.
Attacking the prime minister, Mr Maken alleged he is only doing politics and campaigning instead of doing his job and providing good governance.
He alleged that the prime minister gave no direction to people in his address to the nation and said they have been forced to fend for themselves in these tough times.
"India which was a vaccine leader has been reduced to a vaccine beggar. Modi ji has turned a strong country helpless. For the Modi government, profiteering is more important than the lives of people," Mr Maken said, adding that the prime minister has washed his hands off from his responsibilities.
He also termed PM Modi's address to the nation on Tuesday as an empty rhetoric. States and common people were expecting relief from the prime minister, but as always, 18 minutes of the speech disappointed everyone, Mr Maken claimed.
"It had no direction, no empathy for the poor and those affected by the pandemic were left high and dry," he said.
"There is a complete failure of the government's management of the situation in the country," he added.
The Congress leader also attacked the government over the shortage of oxygen, Remdesivir and other equipment and demanded the Centre must use NIA and ED against those leaders and traders who are encouraging the black market of life saving drugs.
On reverse migration, he said ugly scenes are being witnessed everywhere with migrant workers wanting to reach back home and the government must ensure that they return with dignity and not repeat what had happened last year when "over 3 crore workers were forced to walk back and many lost their lives".
"It seems that we have not learnt anything from last year's experience. Congress party demands that a monthly cash transfer of Rs 6,000 into the accounts of these needy poor be made immediately and adequate food supply be given to urban poor during the times of lockdown/curfew."
Mr Maken said India has highest number of coronavirus cases, the doubling rate is highest in the world and the country is in second position as far as total cases are concerned.
"We want to ask you prime minister, that India being the biggest manufacturer of vaccines in the world only about 1.03 per cent people have been vaccinated so far. If there is a shortage of life-saving drugs in India, which is the largest producer of these drugs, then it is a failure on the part of the government's management," he alleged.
He also asked what health infrastructure the government has added in the last 15 months.