The Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Maharashtra seems to have lost its mind. In its incapacity to handle the raging Coronavirus crisis in the state, the Uddhav Thackeray-led government is now refusing to accept any help from the opposition BJP in the state. This, while hundreds of precious lives continue to be lost to Covid-19 in the state every day. In order to help the people of Maharashtra, who are not being to get hold of Remdesivir vials, the leader of the opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had contacted a Daman-based Remdisivir supplier to procure the drug for Maharashtra.
“Four days ago, we had requested Bruck Pharma to supply a stock of Remdesivir vials to Maharashtra. They said they couldn’t until permissions were given. I spoke with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and got Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s permission. Tonight around 9 pm, the police arrested him,” Fadnavis told reporters on Saturday. Interestingly, after Bruck Pharma was able to get the FDA nod for supplying Remdesivir to Maharashtra, the state police chose to detain the company’s director, in order to ‘question’ him.
Apart from being detained for no fault of his, the owner of Bruck Pharma was also contacted by the OSD (officer on special duty) of the state FDA Minister, who allegedly threatened him for approaching the Centre on the suggestions of BJP leaders. The same was claimed by Devendra Fadnavis, who added, “We have even helped the Bruck Pharma to get tied up with Dr Reddy’s Lab so that they could sell their stock in the local market. But the head of Bruck Pharma was threatened by an OSD. We have the call recording of the OSD as well.”
For reasons best known to him, senior NCP leader Nawab Malik went on to claim that the Centre had asked Remdesivir manufacturers to not supply to Maharashtra. Threatening the government, he said under such circumstances, the state government would have no choice but to seize the stocks from these export manufacturers and supply them to those who need them. This, however, seems to be a flagrant lie, as it is the government of Maharashtra which is harassing Remdesivir suppliers despite them being given the go-ahead to supply the vital injections to the state.
It is quite shameful that the Shiv Sena-led government of Maharashtra seems willing to go to any lengths in order to inconvenience the Marathi Manus whom they claim to exist for.