Arvind Kejriwal goes live with oxygen request to Narendra Modi- accused neighbouring states of holding up oxygen trucks, leaving the Centre embarrassed and angry

Hospitals and doctors have taken to social media to highlight depleting stocks and make desperate appeals for help

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference regarding the current wave of coronavirus in New Delhi on Monday.: PTI photo

J.P. Yadav   |  TT  |  New Delhi   | 24.04.21: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday live-streamed on television images of him pleading before Prime Minister Narendra Modi with folded hands to ensure oxygen supply to hospitals in the capital and accusing neighbouring states of holding up oxygen trucks, leaving the Centre embarrassed and angry.

With some television channels beaming live images of Kejriwal and Modi from the meeting of the Prime Minister with the chief ministers of the 11 worst affected states, the timing could not have been worse for the government that has appeared completely unprepared for the pandemic surge and faced unprecedented criticism for the shortage of life-saving oxygen that has worsened treatment outcomes.

“Will the people of Delhi not get oxygen since there is no oxygen-producing plant here?” Kejriwal was seen telling Modi in the live telecast of the videoconference. “Please suggest whom should I speak to in the central government when an oxygen tanker meant for Delhi is stopped in another state,” the Delhi chief minister added.

“We fear a big tragedy may take place in Delhi and then we will not be able to forgive ourselves. I appeal to you with folded hands to direct chief ministers to ensure unhindered movement of oxygen trucks meant for Delhi,” Kejriwal told Modi.

When the government realised that a good part of Kejriwal’s intervention during the meeting had gone live on TV, they fumed and fretted and accused the Delhi chief minister of making what transpired at the meeting public.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra released a video showing Modi chiding Kejriwal for live-streaming an “in-house” meeting.

“What is happening is strictly against our tradition and protocol that a chief minister is showing live telecast of an in-house meeting,” Modi tells Kejriwal. “This is not appropriate. We should maintain restraint.”

Kejriwal replies: “Ok, Sir, we will be careful in future.”

Patra tweeted along with the video: “If his politics was telecast live, his apology too should be for the public to see….”

If his politics was telecasted live ..

His apology too should be for the public to see ... pic.twitter.com/s1n2VhZI3k

— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) April 23, 2021

Kejriwal later expressed “regret” in a statement, saying that “there has never been any instruction, written or verbal, from the central government that the said interaction cannot be shared live”.

“However, if any inconvenience was caused we highly regret that,” the statement from Kejriwal’s office added.

Delhi’s hospitals, including the top ones, have been facing an acute shortage of oxygen. Hospitals and doctors have taken to social media to highlight depleting stocks and make desperate appeals for help. People have also used social media to arrange for hospital beds, oxygen and medicines for their Covid-afflicted relatives, strengthening the impression that the Centre has abdicated its responsibilities and left the citizens to fend for themselves in this hour of grave crisis.

Twenty-five “sickest” Covid patients died at the prestigious Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on Thursday due to oxygen shortage.

The central government is solely responsible for the supply of oxygen. As people have been left grasping for breath, several states have complained about lack of oxygen.

In the video that was streamed live, Kejriwal first thanked the Prime Minister for enhancing Delhi’s quota of oxygen and then went on to accuse neighbouring states of blocking supply, without naming any.

There have been complaints that tankers ferrying oxygen have been blocked in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, both ruled by the BJP.

The Delhi chief minister sought Modi’s intervention, saying if the Prime Minister made one call to the chief ministers of the neighbouring states, oxygen tankers would not be held up.

Kejriwal also flagged the issue of dual vaccine pricing announced by the Serum Institute of India without naming the company. “One company has announced vaccine rates and has said that while it will give at the rate Rs 150 per dose to the Centre, it will be Rs 400 for states,” he said.

“How can there be two rates for the same thing in one country?” Kejriwal asked. “It should be one nation, one rate,” he added.

The chief ministers of Congress-ruled Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh later tweeted to say that they too flagged the dual pricing of vaccines and urged the Prime Minister to ensure that states get the shots at the same price as the Centre.

Serum had earlier clarified that according to a previous deal, they are to supply the first 100 million doses of Covishield to the Centre at Rs 150 per dose, after which Rs 400 will be charged from the Union government as well.

The chief ministers also asked for a “vaccination plan” to be made available to the states to implement the Centre’s decision of inoculating all adults. The oxygen crisis was also raised by several chief ministers.

Ahead of the meeting with the chief ministers, Modi chaired a meeting with leading oxygen manufacturers to discuss ways to tide over the crisis.

Modi told the chief ministers that “if we work as one nation, there will not be any scarcity of resources” and claimed that the railways and the air force have been deployed to reduce travel time of oxygen cylinders.