Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reverse the new coronavirus vaccine distribution policy, saying that the goal of the country should be to inoculate everyone above 18 regardless of their economic circumstances.

India on Monday announced that everyone above 18 can be vaccinated from May 1. In the third phase of the immunisation programme, vaccine manufacturers will have to supply 50% of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory released doses to the Centre. The manufacturers would be free to supply the remaining 50% doses to state governments and in the open market.

Following the announcement, the Serum Institute of India said that its Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, will be sold at Rs 400 per dose to state governments and Rs 600 to private hospitals. Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of the Serum Institute, also said that the company will sell the vaccine doses to the Centre at Rs 400 per dose once the current purchase order ends. Earlier, the Centre bought the vaccine doses for Rs 150 each.

In a letter to Modi on Thursday, Gandhi called the policy “arbitrary and discriminatory”, saying that it will further aggravate the challenges faced. She said that the central government’s policy meant that citizens will have to pay more to get vaccinated and that the state governments will suffer financially too.

“The policy implies that the government of India has abdicated its responsibility to provide free vaccination for citizens between the age group of 18 and 45 years,” she said. “This is [a] complete abandonment of the government’s responsibility towards our youth.”

Gandhi asked why the same vaccine (Covishield) produced by the same company (Serum Institute of India) can have three different rates for the Centre, states and private hospitals. She said there was no rationale for such an “arbitrary distinction”. Gandhi was referring to the Centre getting Covishield at Rs 150 and the state and private hospitals purchasing the doses at a higher price. However, the Serum Insitute chief has said that the Centre will buy the doses at Rs 400 each after the current purchase order ends.

“Furthermore, in these unprecedented times, how can the government of India permit such brazen profiteering from people’s misery,” Gandhi wrote. “At a time when medical resources are scarce, hospital beds are unavailable, oxygen supply and availability of essential medicines is dwindling rapidly, why is your government allowing a policy that reeks of insensitivity.”

She also said the allocation of 50% of Covid-19 vaccines with the central government should be transparent and equitable in line with the spirit of cooperative federalism.

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Centre’s ‘anti-people policies’ also India’s crisis: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the crisis in the country was not just the coronavirus pandemic but the “anti-people policies” of the Centre.

In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said while he was in quarantine at his home, he was constantly getting sad news. “Not false celebrations and hollow speeches, give the country a solution!” Gandhi added.

Rahul Gandhi had tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

The Congress leader on Wednesday compared the Centre’s coronavirus vaccine strategy to its 2016 move to demonetise currency notes of the value of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. He claimed that just like in 2016, people will now stand in queues and suffer loss of money, health and life. In the end, only a few industrialists will benefit, he alleged.

Meanwhile, India on Thursday reported a record-breaking 3,14,835 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections to 1,59,30,965 since the pandemic broke out in January 2020. This is also the highest ever single-day rise in cases reported by any country so far. With 2,104 deaths, the toll rose to 1,84,657.

This is the eighth consecutive day the country has recorded over 2 lakh coronavirus cases.