BJP responsible for poor shape of health sector in Bihar: Congress

The Congress on Sunday squarely blamed the BJP for the poor condition of the health sector in Bihar, stressing that the saffron party has held on to the crucial portfolio whenever it has been in power. In a statement, AICC media panelist Prem Chandra Mishra, who is also a member of the state legislative council, asserted that the BJP cannot escape the responsibility for the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Bihar and blamed these on a dysfunctional health care system.

"Is it a prayog (experiment) or a sanyog (coincidence)?" quipped Mishra, mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modis infamous reference to anti-CAA-NPR-NRC agitations earlier this year, while reeling out names of the BJP leaders who have held the health portfolio since Nitish Kumar became chief minister in 2005. The party was out of power from 2013 to 2017, because of Kumar's exit from the NDA followed by a sudden return four years later.

For the less than a two-year period when his JD(U) shared power with RJD headed by his arch-rival Lalu Prasad, the portfolio was held by the latters maverick son Tej Pratap Yadav. The Congress too was then a partner in the ruling coalition. Notable among those who held the portfolio before the break in JD(U)-BJP ties are Ashwini Kumar Choubey who has moved to the Centre and Nand Kishore Yadav who now has another portfolio.

The state's current health minister is Mangal Pandey, a former Bihar BJP chief and trusted aide of Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi known to be the saffron leader whom CM Nitish Kumar is most comfortable with. Mishra also asked the chief minister to inform the public what came of his repeated requests to the prime minister for providing the state with more ventilators, PPE kits and ICU beds.

The Congress leader also demanded an explanation on the reports of alleged financial irregularities in the running of quarantine centres..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)