Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Saturday took a swipe at the government for administering record COVID-19 vaccine jabs on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, asking 'why did we have to wait until the PM’s birthday'.
In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said "BJP ruled states — UP, MP, Guj & Kar — “perform” on the PM’s birthday and vaccinate many times the daily average. On other days, they are “non-performing” states. I wish the PM celebrated his birthday every day."
"Happy and grateful that 2.5 crore vaccinations were administered yesterday. But why did we have to wait until the PM’s birthday? Suppose the PM’s birthday was on December 31st, would the 2.5 crore vaccinations have been done only on the last day of the year? Vaccination is not like cutting a cake on a birthday," he said.
Chidambaram further said that vaccination has to be accelerated every day and not only on a birthday. "Vaccination is a programme, it is a process. It has to be accelerated every day, not scale a peak on a birthday. Sobering thoughts: a) one third of the adult population has yet to receive its FIRST dose. b) only 21% has been FULLY vaccinated," he wrote.
Read: Singhvi takes jibe at BJP govt over IT raids on actor Sonu Sood
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who on multiple occasions questioned the pace of Covid-19 vaccination, also took a veiled dig at the government. "Looking forward to many more days of 2.1 crore #vaccinations. This pace is what our country needs," Rahul tweeted.
India administered 2.5 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses Friday as the government raced to create a record for highest number of vaccinations on a single day on the occasion of Modi's birthday. With this achievement, India clinched, "World's Fastest Vaccine Drive" title by jabbing 466 doses per second today, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.
Speaking during a virtual interaction with health workers people from Goa on Saturday, Modi said "Many birthdays have come and gone. But I have kept away from these things (birthday celebrations). But in all my years, yesterday was a very emotional day for me. Because of your efforts, yesterday, India in one day, vaccinated 2.5 crore people, creating a record. I cannot thank you all enough."
