Govt's lack of planning, incompetence responsible for oxygen crisis: Priyanka

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday blamed the government's alleged incompetence and lack of planning for the medical oxygen crisis during the second wave of coronavirus in the country, and said it must answer the public for the lives lost to COVID-19.

Taking forward her "Zimmedaar Kaun (who is responsible)" campaign, under which she has been asking questions of the government over its handling of the pandemic, she said it's time for the ruling dispensation to answer for its actions.

She alleged that India increased its oxygen exports by "700 per cent during 2020 and did not make any efforts to import oxygen" when the demand in the country skyrocketed during the second Covid wave.

"It is clear that the Modi government's lack of planning and incompetence are responsible for the shortage of oxygen that devastated lives in the second wave. Now, it's time for them to answer to the public," she said in a Facebook post.

She asked as to why there was "no contingency plan" for the supply of oxygen.

"Why was the advice of the Empowered Group-VI summarily ignored? Why was no provision made for increasing the number of cryogenic tankers, when by all accounts a second wave was imminent?" she asked.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Saturday accused the Congress of working to "weaken" India's fight against COVID-19, and alleged that the opposition party "provided" tools to countries like Pakistan to defame India.

Citing the alleged remarks of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath that India is not great but infamous following the spread of the infectious disease, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia sought to know the Congress' stand on his comments and claimed that defaming India has become a priority for its leaders.