India will see new waves of Covid unless govt has a vaccine strategy: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi said it was time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be a leader and show that he can organise vaccines for everyone

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked the government to evolve a Covid-19 vaccine strategy for the entire population, warning of multiple waves of the virus at the current rate of vaccination.

Noting that India was the vaccine capital of the world and it was possible to escalate the inoculation drive, Gandhi said it was time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be a leader and show that he can organise vaccines for everyone.

"In my understanding, going by the current rate of vaccination guarantees the third wave of the virus. If vaccination was 50-60 per cent you would not have a third wave and certainly not the fourth," he told a press conference.

He said going by today's pace of vaccinations, the entire inoculation exercise will be completed by May 2024 and several waves of Covid will come.

He said lockdown, masks and social distancing are temporary solutions, but vaccination is permanent solution to Covid and the government must evolve a strategy.

The former Congress chief said there is no vaccine strategy in place.

"The prime minister created space for Covid through his actions, he is responsible for the second wave," he charged.

Gandhi accused the prime minister of not thinking strategically.

He also accused the government and the prime minister of "lying" on the Covid death rate and urged it to not give the virus time or space.