Naqvi’s veiled attack on Congress: Instead of becoming part of solution, some people spreading ‘political pollution’

By PTI
NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the Congress over its criticism of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday said those trying to use a “national calamity” as a “political opportunity” can never be well-wishers of the country.

He also said that the government and society are working together on war-footing with sensibility to defeat the pandemic.

Naqvi was in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and he visited the district hospital at Rampur to take stock of facilities regarding coronavirus treatment. He also held a review meeting with the commissioner, the district magistrate and other senior officials regarding works being done to tackle the pandemic, according to a statement issued by his office.

It is unfortunate that some people, instead of becoming a “part of solution”, are spreading “political pollution”, the minority affairs minister was quoted as saying by the statement. They are creating ‘fear and confusion’ among the people, he added.

The Modi government is working with commitment to ensure good health and well-being of the people from all sections of society, Naqvi said.

The government’s priority is to make the country free from this unprecedented crisis and “we will get rid of this pandemic soon”, he asserted.

Hitting out at Congress leaders, Naqvi said that those who were earlier questioning the world’s largest vaccination drive are now creating confusion over the vaccination policy.

When the coronavirus pandemic had started around January-February last year, there were negligible COVID treatment facilities in India, but now after a year of the pandemic, the government has worked effectively to ensure facilities and resources to tackle the challenges, he said.

“Be it coronavirus testing labs; testing capacity; coronavirus testing kits; dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, production of N-95 masks, PPE kits, ventilators and medical oxygen, the country has adequate facilities and resources to ensure good health and well-being of the people,” Naqvi said.

He said that with regard to dedicated COVID hospitals, ICU beds, ventilators, medical oxygen supply, the Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath government in UP have worked effectively to tackle the pandemic.