New Delhi, Apr 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Covid-19 strategy meeting with Chief Ministers of states with highest number of coronavirus cases began on a discordant note with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal going public with his remarks in meeting in which he flagged the acute oxygen crisis in Delhi hospitals asked whether the two crore people of Delhi will not get oxygen because the capital has no oxygen plant.
He also asked whether the 130 crore people of the nation do not have right to the nation's resources equally.
Hitting back, the BJP called Kejriwal a "disgrace as Delhi CM" and asked "can he stoop so low"?
In his intervention in the closed-door meeting, which was later televised soon after the meet was over, Kejriwal said that people are in major pain due to oxygen shortage and he requests with folded hands that the Prime Minister gives direction to Chief Ministers to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to Delhi.
Earlier alleging that BJP-ruled states Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are blocking the oxygen supply to Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Thursday gone to the extent of saying that Centre should deploy even paramilitary forces if required to ensure oxygen supply to Delhi.
In the PM meeting, Kejriwal demanded Centre should take over all oxygen plants through Army and every truck should be accompanied by Army escort vehicles.
"We fear some massive tragedy may happen due to lack of oxygen for patients. Despite being the Chief Minister of Delhi, I find myself helpless in such a scenario. If any big mishap happens, I will not be able to forgive myself, " Kejriwal said, batting for a national plan to deal with the situation.
He also demanded that the state governments should get Covid-19 vaccines at similar rates on which the central government is procuring them.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra came down heavily on Kejriwal asking on Twitter " Stooping this low for petty politics?"
"Makes all arrangements to televise an otherwise close door meeting..tries to score political brownie points! If only he had spent the same amount of time doing his homework! Last time the same man ..in the same meeting was yawning & laughing," Patra further said.
BJP IT department chief and co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya also went hammer tongs.
"Arvind Kejriwal is a disaster. He goes to a meeting with the Prime Minister unprepared. He has no idea about things that have already been put in place to ease oxygen supply in the capital, was uninformed on vaccine prices. How will he save Delhi? He is a disgrace as Delhi’s CM," Malviya tweeted.
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