Rahul questions 'delay' in stopping export of ventilators, suggests 'criminal conspiracy'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of delaying its decision to ban the export of life-saving equipment like ventilators amid the coronavirus outbreak, suggesting a "criminal conspiracy".

The government had on March 19 banned export of all ventilators, surgical/disposable masks and textile raw material used for making masks with immediate effect in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Respected Prime Minister, why did the Indian government allow the export of all these things till March 19 contrary to WHO's advice to keep sufficient stock of ventilators and surgical masks. Which forces encouraged these games? Isn't this a criminal conspiracy," Gandhi asked in a tweet in Hindi.

The Congress MP also tagged a news report which claimed that India did not stockpile coronavirus protective equipment for health workers despite WHO guidelines in this regard.