'Politically motivated': Punjab CM breaks silence on COVID 'profiteering' allegations

After Shiromani Akali Dal staged a huge protest against the handling of the COVID-19 situation in Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that all the allegations against the state government, starting from the supply of vaccines to private hospitals to procurement of Fateh Kits, were 'politically motivated'. He said that there was no question of the state government making profits amid the pandemic, which it was 'battling hard' to save lives.

Blaming SAD, along with other opposition parties like AAP, for spreading misinformation and raising 'non-issues', he said, "The parties were making a hue and cry to push their electoral agendas with an eye on the 2022 Assembly elections."

Reiterating that the state government had not indulged in any wrongdoing, Amarinder Singh outlined that quick and unusual decisions have to be taken in an emergency war-like situation. "All decisions were taken in the interest of the people of the state, and all due procedures were followed. No amount of Opposition hullaballoo can undermine the true intent of his government, which was focused on protecting the lives of the people," he said while highlighting that the state’s doctors and bureaucrats had been doing an excellent job in fighting the war with their backs against the wall, and the state would soon be able to defeat it. 

Large scale gathering being organized by SAD a brazen violation of COVID norms: Capt. Amarinder Singh

Captain Amarinder Singh took serious note of the large-scale gatherings being organized by SAD, and called it a 'brazen' violation of the COVID-19 protocols and curbs that are in place in the state. "In their desperation for power, Sukhbir Badal and his party colleagues were endangering the lives of the people through such gatherings", he while adding, "Sukhbir & Co. saw scams everywhere because their own government had been seeped in all kinds of scams, and had pocketed crores of rupees at the cost of the people’s hard-earned money."

Clarifying allotment of vaccination to private hospitals, Capt Amarinder Singh said, "The 40000-odd doses made available to some private hospitals was a one-time measure as a step to provide some vaccination options to non-priority groups in 18-45 category". The hospitals were provided the vaccines at the price at which they were to buy from the manufacturers, he pointed out, adding that the decision was taken as there were initially only two private hospitals in Punjab that had managed to procure the vaccine from the 25% quota reserved by the Central Government. "Students and others traveling abroad needed vaccine urgently, and were willing to pay, so the state government had decided to make it available to private hospitals as an emergency measure", he said.

"Since the decision of the Government was not being taken in the right spirit, it was withdrawn, but there was no question of any irregularity as the entire money went into the Health Department’s vaccination fund and was to be used to buy vaccines given free by the state," he made clear. 

He also took the opportunity to speak about the issue of Fateh Kits. He said, "It was creditable that the Health Department, which had been working day and night to provide the best possible care to the people, had ensured timely supplies were ensured even at the peak of the wave." He went on, "Pulse oxymeters were made available in these kits even though there was a shortage as there was no supply from the international markets." He concluded by saying that his government has always prioritised human lives, and playing politics and spreading misinformation in times of a pandemic is extremely 'unfortunate and ill-conceived'.

Sukhbir Singh Badal detained

The statement of Captain Amarinder Singh comes after thousands of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers on Tuesday gathered to march towards the residence of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in Mohali in order to protest against the Congress-led government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis in Punjab. The chief of Akalo Dal who was leading the massive protest was detained by Punjab Police in Siswan.  

Before the detention, Badal had said, "if a storm rises, Captain won't be able to stop it, even if he uses all his force. There is a scam in vaccination, there is a scam in Fateh Kit, there is a scam in SC scholarship, farmers' land is being acquired." 

(Credit-PTI/RepublicWorld)