'Adhikari should ask his Delhi friends why Bengal not getting enough doses'

KOLKATA: Slamming BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for proposing to set up separate vaccination camps for BJP workers and sympathisers, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and state minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Sashi Panja, on Thursday said the former should talk to his friends in Delhi as to why the Centre was not sending adequate Covid vaccine doses to Bengal.

The statement of Adhikari has created a flutter as it came on the day when the Chief Minister had once again accused the Centre for not sending adequate vaccine doses to the state.

Coming down heavily on Adhikari "for not speaking the truth," Shashi Panja, state minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare said people had been vaccinated irrespective of their political affiliation. "It is a complete lie. Vaccination camps have been held all over the state and no one has been deprived based on his or her political allegiance," she said adding "Adhikari should talk to his friends in Delhi as to why despite so many reminders by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Centre was not sending adequate vaccine doses to the state."

She alleged that the BJP was doing partisan politics. "The Centre is giving the vaccines to other states. Now, from where will the BJP receive its quota," she asked, adding "out of sheer desperation Adhikari was making such statements just to remain alive in the media."

Adhikari addressed BJP workers in connection with the health volunteers campaign launched by the party.

He said he would take up the matter with the union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya. He said the camps for the BJP workers could be set up at the airports, railway hospitals and ESI hospitals.