"Thundering Silence On Part Of Government": Sonia Gandhi On Covid Crisis

India Coronavirus Cases: Fight against the pandemic is a "national challenge that should be kept above politics," Sonia Gandhi said in a statement after the online meeting that was also attended by Rahul Gandhi.

The government's handling of second Covid wave today drew sharp criticism from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at an online meeting of top party leaders where she said that India has "regrettably been caught off guard again despite a year to prepare". Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over "thundering silence" amid repeated appeals about medical oxygen, hospital beds and vaccines, the Congress chief stressed that "immunisation age should be reduced to 25".  Fight against the pandemic is a "national challenge that should be kept above politics," the 74-year-old Congress leader said in a statement after the online meeting that was also attended by Rahul Gandhi. "We cannot lose sight of the fact that the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the country with fury. Despite a year to prepare, we have, regrettably, been caught off guard again," she said. An alarming surge of 2.34 lakh Covid cases - the biggest daily spike so far - took India's Covid tally to 1.45 crore cases this morning. The country has recorded 10 lakh cases in the last six days, the government data shows, as many parts battle the second Covid wave. Sonia Gandhi targeted the government over shortage of vaccines, medicines, hospital beds and medical oxygen. "It is deeply concerning to read news reports of acute shortages of medical equipment and hospital beds. Reports from across the country speak of the scarcity of Covid-19 vaccine as also of important life saving drugs including Remdesivir in different parts of the country," she said.