CWC attacks Centre on pandemic handling; says nation faces 'catastrophe'

The Congress Working Committee on Saturday accused the central government of "colossal mismanagement" in the war against the COVID pandemic and cautioned of an "unprecedented catastrophe" unless urgent corrective measures are taken.

The highest decision-making body of the Congress, chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi, met here virtually to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the country and suggest measures to the government to tackle the crisis.

Addressing a press conference after the meet, Congress' senior spokesperson P Chidambaram said concrete suggestions made by CWC members would be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a letter by former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

"We charge the central government with colossal mismanagement of the war against the pandemic," a CWC statement said, accusing the central government of failing on 14 different fronts in handling the pandemic.

"We regret to say that the nation is paying a very heavy price for the thoughtlessness and unpreparedness of the NDA government to tackle the gravest disaster that has hit the country and has affected millions of families claiming 1,75,673 lives so far," the statement passed by the CWC said.

The working committee meeting, attended by Manmohan Singh and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, besides general secretaries and other senior leaders, said it is a shame that the country with the world's largest vaccine manufacturing capacity has earned the odium of being among the most affected countries in the world.

"With a heavy heart, we caution the people that unless urgent corrective measures are taken the nation faces an unprecedented catastrophe. May wisdom prevail," the CWC statement said.

Chidambaram said several Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi have made valuable suggestions on how to tackle the situation. All of them would be collated by tomorrow and sent to the central government.