P Chidambaram said nobody aged between 18 and 44 is getting the vaccine in Tamil Nadu. (File)
Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan of refusing to own responsibility for the worsening pandemic situation in the country and making a "mockery of democratic principles".
The remarks came as India reported 4,12,262 new cases and 3,980 deaths over the past 24 hours.
"The pandemic situation is going from bad to worse. The insufficient supply of vaccines is a hard, bitter truth, but the government is in denial," the Congress leader tweeted.
"In Tamil Nadu, not all among 45 plus are getting the first dose and a small number the second dose. Nobody between 18 and 44 is getting the vaccine," he claimed, adding that the situation in other states is not very different.
"The PM and the Health Minister refuse to own responsibility and are making a mockery of democratic principles," he said.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday that 12 states currently have over one lakh active Covid cases.
The positivity rate, the ministry said, is currently above 15 per cent in 24 states in the country and in the range of 5-15 per cent in nine. It said Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Chhattisgarh are among states and Union Territories showing continued plateauing or decrease in daily new cases. However, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Odisha are among those showing an upward trend in daily case count, the ministry added.
The Health Ministry also asked the states to prioritise beneficiaries awaiting their second dose of the vaccine and ensure timely completion of the recommended vaccination schedule.
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