Remdesivir hoarding: Mumbai police grill pharma director; BJP says supplier being harassed
Mumbai: In Maharashtra, politics has started over the supply of Remdesivir amid the growing infection of the Coronavirus. Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has alleged that the Maharashtra government is harassing a Remdesivir supplier of the Union Territory of Daman as he was approached by BJP leaders to supply the drug in the state.
On Saturday, the Mumbai Police detained Bruck Pharma owner Rajesh Dokania, saying a truckload of Remdesivir was caught. Police said they had information that the 60,000 vials of Remdesivir stock was going to be flown abroad by air cargo, despite a ban on the export of the drug. Bruck Pharma is a Daman-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company that manufactures Remdesivir vials.
While Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis claimed the director was picked up because the BJP managed to get the permissions in place for the supply of the drug to Maharashtra, activist Saket Gokhale wondered how did a "private individual like Fadnavis" procure Remdesivir stock from Gujarat when the sale is allowed only to the government.
On learning that Dokania was being quizzed, Fadnavis and another state BJP leader Pravin Darekar rushed to the police station.
They said the BJP was reaching out to pharma companies due to the shortage of Remdesivir in the state. "It was our sincere attempt to get Remdesivar for Maharashtra," Fadnavis said.
"Four days ago we had requested Bruck Pharma to supply us Remdesivir but they couldn't until permission was given. I spoke to Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and also got FDA's permission," Fadnavis said.
The former CM claimed that a Maharashtra minister's officer on special duty called the pharma executive and objected to the company providing Remdesivir on BJP's appeal.
The appearance of top Maharashtra BJP leaders late at night at the police station after the director was grilled has intensified the political slugfest between the Shiv Sena-led regime and the BJP over the paucity of healthcare supplies.
On Sunday morning, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted: "If this isn't backstabbing the people of Maharashtra for his cheap politics then what is? A leader of opposition is hoarding an emergency drug procured secretly & when seized fights with Mumbai Police. Shame Mr Fadnavis. Your midnight shenanigans were exposed once and now again."
In a series of tweets, Gokhale asked: "Why didn't Fadnavis inform the state govt of the supplier & help procure the stock through state channels? In the midst of a severe shortage, why was the BJP hoarding 4.75 crores worth of Remdesivir in their party office (just like in Gujarat)?"
"And most importantly - while @nawabmalikncp ji showed yesterday that Central govt had stopped supplies of Remdesivir to Maharashtra govt, then how was BJP's Fadnavis allowed to procure it sneakily without informing the state govt? That too stock worth 4.75 crores?" he added.
The political slugfest started on Saturday morning when Maharashtra minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged the Centre was pressuring some Remdesivir producers to not sell their stock in Maharashtra.
Joining state BJP leaders, two Central ministers hit back at the Maharashtra government, calling these allegations "a lie" and termed them an attempt to politicise the pandemic. However, in the evening, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that he has assured CM Uddhav Thackerayof uninterrupted oxygen and medicine supply. Even ventilators are being supplied to the state.
