India / 'Take Union govt to court': Raut on deaths due to oxygen shortage

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's sharp criticism of the Centre's statement on "no deaths due to lack of oxygen" has provoked return fire from the BJP, which accused him of "fake anguish" and "shameless politics".

The BJP said today that the Centre had relied on information forwarded by the Maharashtra government, which had told the Bombay High Court that no patient had died of oxygen shortage in the state.

"Mr Sanjay Raut I am aghast at the double-speak of double defaulters, Shiv Sena and Congress. Pleases provide the number of deaths in the state of Maharashtra due to Oxygen shortage to the central government and also to the press. Same logic applies to Delhi state which was the epicenter," Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said.

The party also underlined its point in tweets.

"See how Hippocratic (sic) and shameless Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut is. In May 2021 Thackeray government had submitted a report to the Bombay High Court and claimed, no patient died due to shortage of oxygen. Centre prepared its report on basis of information forwarded by state government," the BJP tweeted.

"Now reacting on this report Sanjay Raut express his fake anguish and said, he was speechless and case should be filed against Centre government for this claim. His statements once again exposed shameless politics of MVA government, precisely Shiv Sena," the party added.

There has been a huge political backlash after the government said in the Rajya Sabha that no deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states and Union Territories during the second Covid surge.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Junior Health Minister Bharati Praveen Pawar said health is a state subject and states and union territories regularly report the number of cases and deaths to the Centre. "However, no deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states and UTs," added Ms Pawar, responding to the question on whether Covid patients died on roads and hospitals due to oxygen shortage.

Earlier today, Mr Raut said that people who lost relatives to oxygen shortage in the second wave of Covid should take the central government to court.

"Many people have died due to oxygen shortage in several states. The Union government is running away from the truth. It seems it is the effect of Pegasus (Israeli spyware)," the Rajya Sabha member quipped, talking to reporters.

Mr Raut, whose party Shiv Sena rules Maharashtra in a coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, said it was important to find out whether those whose relatives died gasping for oxygen agreed with the Centre's response in parliament.

The Centre also said in parliament that there was an unprecedented surge in demand for medical oxygen during the April-May second wave.