BSP, Cong for free Covid treatment, vaccination

The Bahujan Samaj Party and UP Congress said that the Yogi government should come forward and facilitate free treatment and vaccination besides helping the people with free supply of foodgrains and other essentials items till the pandemic is controlled.

In a tweet on Monday morning, BSP chief Mayawati demanded free Covid vaccines for all and free treatment for the poor. “Rising above party politics, all parties should demand that the Central government bear all expenses for the treatment of COVID-affected poor and weaker sections and administer the vaccine free of cost,” Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

She said that if the Centre refuses to accept this, respective state governments must take up the responsibility themselves by cutting down on non-essential expenditure. She also appealed to all political parties to rise above political lines to fight with the deadly infection and it would find strong support from her party.

Demanding free foodgrains along with monetary help of Rs 6000 per month to each family member of weaker sections, UP Congress spokesman Ashok Singh said in Lucknow on Monday that after lockdown during the first corona wave, a big section of the society was faced with financial crunch and now the second wave has shattered their courage on fighting the pandemic along with feeding their families and bearing monthly expenses.

Singh said that a large number of people had lost their jobs during the lockdown while daily wage earners were the worst sufferers as no economical activity was underway. He said that it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that proper medical treatment was provided to each patient and ensure that no one died of hunger.

The Congress spokesman claimed that to ensure these basic reeprives, the government must ensure free treatment to all poor and needy and provide free foodgrains and a monthly economic package till normal economic activities were back on track. He also appealed to the UP government to focus on measures to extend immediate relief to the people, instead of criticising opposition parties for raising the voice of the people and highlighting failures of the administration in providing proper medical care to patients.