New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) The Congress on Thursday alleged that the "political interference" in the management of Covid-19 pandemic resulted in lakhs of deaths which could have been prevented by proper management.
Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken said India was unprepared for the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic because of political oversight.
Maken said a "false narrative" of the pandemic being in control was built by the government, and alleged that it led to people being caught off-guard when the second wave of the pandemic came.
"We are demanding a criminal investigation in the management of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the reason is senior scientists have pointed out at political interference and fudging of data at ICMR," Maken said.
He said the narratives, contrary to the data and science, created a sense of false confidence among the people, who got careless and negligent of the impending second wave.
"When the second wave struck, this false narrative took the state governments, the citizens and the hospital administrations by surprise, thereby increasing the casualties manifold," he said.
He pointed out that in June 2020, a study commissioned by the ICMR concluded that the lockdown had slowed but would not stop the virus's spread. The study was withdrawn.
Maken called for investigation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former health minister Harsh Vardhan, and officials of ICMR.
"Criminal culpability of PM Modi and his Govt has now been exposed. Had the Modi Government not suppressed data, subjugated scientists, forbidden and withdrawn ICMR studies – all so that the PM could conduct rallies and build a narration of having won the war over Corona, lakhs of lives could have been saved," he said.
"PM Modi and ICMR are singularly responsible for deaths of millions of Indians. This warrants a criminal investigation against the PM, the then Health Minister as also Management of ICMR," he added.
The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic that hit India in March-April this year, saw lakhs of people dying, queues outside hospitals, shortage of medicines and oxygen supply and long queues outside crematoriums and burial grounds.
UNI AO SHK2017