Owaisi hits out at BJP Govt for under-reporting Covid deaths

TFP | Syed Sufwan Mohiuddin
Hyderabad, June 14: After Centre refuted ‘The Economist’ report on underreporting of deaths in the country and called it ‘misinformed’, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the centre for trying to hide the actual number of deaths due to COVID-19.

Quoting the report by The Economist claimed that the country’s toll due to COVID-19 could be ‘ 5-to-7 times’ higher than the official number, “it is totally true,” said Owaisi. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-government is trying to hide the reality because they have been exposed for failing to timely prepare for the second wave.

He said that delayed ordering of vaccines for the citizens of the country and unfitting supply of vaccines led to ‘preventable’ deaths during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saying that India’s official death toll from COVID is nowhere close to the real extent of the damage, Owaisi questioned, “How long will govt botch numbers to make itself feel good?”

The Union Government on Saturday refuted a report by The Economist which claimed that the country’s toll due to Covid-19 could be “5-to-7 times” higher than the official number. The Union health ministry said that the article “is speculative, without any basis and seems to be misinformed”.

“The unsound analysis of the said article is based on extrapolation of data without any epidemiological evidence,” the ministry said in a release.

Rebutting to which, Owaisi questioned, “even the Government took consent for the third trial of Covaxin from the public, was there any peer-reviewed scientific data available?”

“Coronil was certified by the Ministry of AYUSH, was there any effective data for the same?” he added.

Further, Owaisi also highlighted that no State Government is following the ICMR guidelines in providing district-wise information in the daily bulletin.