Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday called the Centre’s reply on deaths due to the oxygen crisis during the second Covid-19 wave, completely false. The Central government had stated that no deaths were recorded due to oxygen shortage during the second Covid-19 wave.
The opposition has been actively accusing the central government and blaming them for hiding the real figures of deaths due to the lack of oxygen. However, it was only months after the AAP government had submitted a report in the Delhi High Court that there had been no deaths due to a shortage of oxygen in the national capital. Jain lashed out at the central government, and this time he claimed that there had been deaths due to oxygen shortage in Delhi and other parts of the country.
While addressing a press conference, Jain said “There were 44 cases in Delhi and 569 active cases yesterday [Tuesday].They (Centre) will soon say there was no COVID-19. If there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen, then why were hospitals going to High Court for shortages? This is completely false.””We had formed an audit committee for oxygen to provide compensation to victims, which was stopped by the Centre through LG. The Centre is rubbing salt on wounds. We’ll appeal the LG to allow us to run the committee”, he said.
After the Centre’s statement on no deaths due to a lack of oxygen during the second Covid-19 wave, Jain on Wednesday referred to it as “completely false” while previously having filed a similar report to the Delhi High court. The health minister further blamed the Centre for stopping the audit committee for oxygen in providing compensation to victims during the second wave of Covid-19.
Furthermore, reports by the audit team appointed by the Supreme Court has found out that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government exaggerated the oxygen requirement in the national capital by more than four times during April 25th and May 10th, which was the peak period of the second wave of Covid-19. The audit team exposed the false narrative of Oxygen shortage by the Delhi Government.
Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar while responding to a question noted that health is a state subject and states and UTs regularly report the number of cases and deaths to the Centre. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha he said “Detailed guidelines for reporting of deaths have been issued by the Union Health Ministry to all states and UTs. Accordingly, all states and UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis. However, no deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states and UTs.”
Further slamming the opposition’s criticism for not being able to handle the Covid situation, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said several Indian companies are increasing their production of vaccines and that the country might become the first in the world to develop a DNA-based vaccine.
Read more: MansukhMandaviya rips the opposition’s fake claims over Covid deaths apart like a pro
Jain’s assumption that many people in Delhi died due to the paucity of life-saving gas reflects the hypocrisy as it is in sharp contrast to the submissions made by the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government to the Delhi High Court.
Moreover, the Delhi government’s objection to the Union government’s request to the Supreme Court to carry out a detailed audit of oxygen utilization in the national capital has finally shown us the harsh reality.
A comprehensive investigation into the matter would have most definitely revealed the dirty intentions behind the Kejriwal-led government. Delhi government’s arrogance is directly responsible for the lives crores of people. Hence, if Delhi still elects Kejriwal after his “Oxygen Sin”, the joke will be on the people of Delhi itself.