Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre for the harrowing scenario due to the resurgent virus and alleged that if he had followed the WHO guidelines regarding oxygen requirements, the devastating situation could have been averted. She lambasted Modi for his ‘myopic vision’ when the country is struggling with shortage of oxygen cylinders, vaccines and even Covid medicines.

“Even in this situation the Centre has been diverting the medical oxygen supply of Sail steel plants to Uttar Pradesh. The Sail steel plants used to supply medical oxygen to the state earlier. Still we have been procuring 5,000 additional oxygen cylinders today. Already we have a stock of 15,000 cylinders. We are also in the process of negotiations with other private players for oxygen supply,” the Trinamul supremo added.

Miss Banerjee said that the PM has exported about 65 per cent of vaccines to foreign countries which has perpetuated the crisis in the country.

She also questioned the price disparity of vaccines as the state have to purchase it at Rs400 against Rs150 by Centre and Rs600 for private hospitals. If the PM Cares Fund had procured vaccines and supplied the state free of cost instead of splurging for new Parliament building, largest statue, temple, the states would have been spared the onus of financial burden, she said and alleged that the Centre was giving priority to BJPruled states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh regarding vaccine distribution.

No tests have been done for either those lakhs of people who came from other states during BJP campaigns and neither over two lakhs paramilitary who have been deployed for poll duty, she said. These people have been spreading Covid-19 and the election commission is silent on this issue, she added.

“Today the PM has been holding several meetings but did not invite me though I was ready to attend the meeting. Only the worst-hit 10 states have been invited for the meeting,” she said.

She said that she is constantly in touch with the CMOH in the districts and giving necessary instructions. The CM alleged that she had no knowledge about the EC decision till evening otherwise she would have wrapped up her campaign by yesterday.

Tomorrow, she is slated to visit Berhampore, then Birbhum, and after offering prayers at Tarapith temple she will visit Behrampore again and then to Malda and Kolkata (Minerva Hall) for virtual meeting.

The Trinamul supremo exuded confidence about forming government in response to a question by The Statesman correspondent. She added that she wants all the seats in the remaining two phases also.

The CM also warned the state police officials who have fired at voters and threatened them to take action after 2 May. Some DMs and SPs are thinking that BJP will come already, she said.