New Delhi, June 28 Although, Covid situation in the national capital is very much under control with daily new cases reduced to below 100 paving the way to continue the unlock process, the controversy on alleged exaggerated demand of oxygen is not likely to die down soon.
The controversy erupted after the Supreme Court appointed oxygen audit committee in an interim report stated that Delhi's oxygen needs were exaggerated four times during the second Covid wave, than its requirement.
AIIMS director Randeep Guleria, who is heading a five-member sub group (oxygen audit committee), on Saturday, clarified that, it is an interim report. "The oxygen needs are dynamic and change on day-to-day basis," he had said.
The matter is still subjudice as the committee has submitted its report to the Apex Court, however, Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems not to miss this opportunity to attack the Arvind Kejriwal government.
On Monday, leaders of the Delhi BJP held a protest at Jantar Mantar under the leadership of state party chief Adesh Gupta and blamed Kejriwal for causing deaths in other states due to alleged exaggeration of oxygen demand in Delhi.
Delhi BJP, which was in defensive mode during the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic due to the shortage of oxygen, drugs and vaccines, has turned aggressive now. While, the AAP that was attacking the Centre every now and then, now seems in defensive mode on the issue.
Demanding action against Kejriwal, Gupta said, "Kejriwal exaggerated oxygen requirement in Delhi which resulted in shortage of oxygen in other states. Many patients have died due to oxygen shortage and therefore Kejriwal should be held responsible for those deaths."
The sub-group constituted by the Supreme Court to audit oxygen consumption in hospitals in the national capital during the second Covid wave, said the Delhi government 'exaggerated' the consumption of oxygen and made a claim of 1,140 MT, four times higher than the formula for bed capacity requirement of 289 MT.
The five-member panel said, the Delhi government had made the claims for allocation of 700 MT medical grade oxygen on April 30 by using a 'wrong formula.'
The AAP, adopting defensive strategy so far on this issue, has denied the allegation. Kejriwal had on Saturday said, "May we work now if your fight over oxygen is finished? Let us together make a system so no one faces shortage of oxygen in the third wave."
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor