Opposition leaders pens to PM Modi, 'Stop Central Vista construction, use that money for procuring vaccines'

Pointing out that the Covid-19 pandemic has assumed “unprecedented dimensions of a human catastrophe”, leaders of 12 Opposition parties shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded free mass vaccination against coronavirus, suspension of the Central Vista project, among others.

In the joint letter to the Prime Minister, the opposition leaders called upon PM Modi to use the allocated money for the Central Vista construction for procuring oxygen and vaccines instead.

Pointing out that the Covid-19 pandemic has assumed “unprecedented dimensions of a human catastrophe”, leaders of 12 Opposition parties shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded free mass vaccination against coronavirus, suspension of the Central Vista project, among others.

In the joint letter to the Prime Minister, the opposition leaders called upon PM Modi to use the allocated money for the Central Vista construction for procuring oxygen and vaccines instead.

The signatories to the joint letter include Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister and JDS leader H D Deve Gowda and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Others include chief ministers Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena), Mamata



Banerjee (TMC), MK Stalin (DMK), and Hemant Soren (JMM).

Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Akhilesh Yadav (SP) have also signed the letter, alongside Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, D Raja (CPI) and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M).

“Unfortunately, your government has either ignored or refused all these suggestions. This only compounded the situation to reach such an apocalyptic human tragedy,” they said in the letter.

Without going into all the “acts of commission and omission” by the Central government that have brought the country to such a “tragic pass”, the opposition leaders demanded that some measures suggested by them must be undertaken on a war footing.

“Procure vaccines centrally from all available sources – global and domestic. Immediately begin a free, universal mass vaccination campaign across the country. Invoke compulsory licensing to expand domestic vaccine production. Spend budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crores for the vaccines,” the leaders said in their letter.

“Though it has not been the practice of your office or government, we would appreciate a response to our suggestions in the interests of India and our people,” the leaders added.