It seems like the Rajasthan government is a lost cause. Despite series of scams being exposed in the state, Ashok Gehlot has no interest in curbing the rampant corruption in his state. Rajasthan is back in the news and this time it’s the oxygen concentrators bought by the government that is a hot topic.
A scandal has been unearthed in Rajasthan pertaining to the purchase of oxygen concentrators. A report by Dainik Bhaskar has revealed that the state government bought 35 thousand oxygen concentrators at exorbitant prices and that too when the peak of the second wave has subsided. Leaving the excessive purchase essentially worthless. The concentrators in question, given their low quality, were not even fit for use by corona patients.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had on Friday lashed out at Congress and accused the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan of profiteering from the oxygen crisis in the state. Levelling corruption charges, the minister shared on Twitter a news report which claimed that the Rajasthan government had purchased oxygen concentrators at inflated prices even after a fall in demand.
First Punjab, now Rajasthan#Pandemic profiteering is in vogue in @INCIndia ruled Sates
Bloated prices of O2 concentrators purchased by Rajasthan Govt reeks of corruption@RahulGandhi Ji, drop white paper shenanigans & focus on these dark, murky dealingshttps://t.co/GfNCnXYQC5 pic.twitter.com/4WopPKd6e1
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (Modi Ka Pariwar) (@drharshvardhan) July 2, 2021
The BJP targeted Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the Gandhi family over the oxygen concentrators purchased during the Corona crisis. Sharing the news, Amit Malviya has alleged that the oxygen concentrators which Kerala bought for Rs 32 thousand were bought by the Ashok Gehlot government of Rajasthan for fifty thousand. The concentrators in question, given their low quality, were not even fit for use by corona patients. Malviya further questioned whether Ashok Gehlot has got the support of the Gandhi family as CM for brazen money-making.
Oxygen concentrators bought by Kerala for 32,000 were purchased by Rajasthan for 50,000, from dubious companies, with no relevant experience. These concentrators were of no use to Covid patients either.
Is brazen money making the reason why the Gandhis have backed Gehlot as CM? pic.twitter.com/C6aqcrNkSQ
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) July 3, 2021
This is not the first time the Gehlot government have been involved in a lot of controversies and scams during the Pandemic period. As reported by TFI, the Rajasthan government seems to have failed miserably in combating the virus. Instead of owning up its mistakes, it is still going after a publication that has merely shown the mirror to it for its glaring deficiencies.
Several other BJP leaders from Rajasthan and Centre have attacked the Ashok Gehlot-led government over the issue.
Dr Satish Poonia, BJP state president, said “Profiteering in tragedy, this thought is injurious sometimes; scam sometimes in masks, other times in concentrators. Chief Minister, people are watching and understanding everything. There is a reaction to every action.”
आपदा में फायदा, यह विचार घातक है; कभी मास्क तो कभी कन्संट्रेटर में घोटाला। मुख्यमंत्री जी जनता सब देख और समझ रही है; हर कर्म का फल पलटकर आता है।#Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/xrUgpzSMkT
— Satish Poonia (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSatishPoonia) July 2, 2021
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister and Jodhpur MP said “Ashok Gehlot should now write a book with the title ‘Congress way of finding opportunity in crisis’, in which the chapter written by Gehlot government will definitely be the longest one and in future this will be famous as Congress legacy.”
The INC-led Rajasthan government needs to understand that the people are watching their actions closely. In these dire times, when the people look up to the government for support, a corrupt government will only make matters worse.
