Maharashtra alleges discrimination; says BJP-ruled states get more vaccine doses

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope alleged discrimination over supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses. The minister accused the Centre of giving BJP-ruled states more doses of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines -- Covaxin and Covishield.

"I have just got information that we have got additional stock. We have now got 17 lakh doses. It is still less compared to the demand of 40 lakh doses that we have made," said Rajesh Tope.

Tope said that even though Maharashtra is leading in COVID-19 vaccination, other states are given massive stocks. He said that BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh was supplied with 48 lakh doses, while Madhya Pradesh was supplied with 40 lakh doses, Gujarat with 30 lakh and Haryana with 24 lakh doses per week.

"Gujarat has a population of 6 crore, they got 1 crore doses. We have a population of 12 crore, we got 1.04 crore doses," said Rajesh Tope.

Maharashtra is ruled by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), coalition of Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.

"I immediately spoke to Dr Harsh Vardhan and asked him about the discrimination. We have the highest number of cases, a huge population and 57,000 deaths. Then why such discrimination?" he said, adding that the Health Minister assured him that he would speak to concerned officials.

His accusations come after Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan rebutted his earlier claims about shortage of coronavirus vaccines in the state. Tope had said that inoculation had to be stopped at several places in Maharashtra, including Panvel and Satara. The Union Health Minister had said that there is no shortage of vaccination and states are supplied with vaccines as per requirement.

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