Coronavirus: Rajasthan CM slams Harsh Vardhan on issue of availability of COVID-19 vaccines

Jaipur, May 26: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday accused Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan of making false statements on the issue of availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the country. Vaccination centres across the country are also being shut, he noted.

"Health Minister Harsh Vardhan should refrain from making false statements. When the country was struggling with lack of oxygen, he was saying there is enough oxygen in the country," he said.

"Today, when there is a shortage of vaccines in the country, he says there are enough one crore vaccines in the country. But if we take all the states together, one crore vaccines will be finished in just one day," Gehlot said in a series of tweets.

He said that on April 2, 42 lakh vaccines were administered across the country, but now only 16 lakh vaccines are being administered daily. Such statements by the Union Health Minister are creating "resentment" among the public, he claimed. Vardhan had said on May 19 that more than one crore doses are still in stock with state governments.

Gehlot also demanded that the Centre issue guidelines on how bodies should be buried along the banks of Ganga and Yamuna rivers and also on immersion of ashes to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

"If the infection spreads from these dead bodies during the rainy season, there may be a possibility of further spread of the pandemic," he said. There have been reports of bodies of suspected COVID-19 victims floating in the River Ganga.